Of Two Worlds
by Gypsygrl86
Summary: A new girl comes to Karakura Town. She is searching for someone with close ties to her past. Shocking revelations will affect Ichigo and friends, especially Uryu. What role will the Soul Society play in those revelations? Uryu x OC
1. Prelude

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach. This story and all chapters contained therein are an independent work used for entertainment purposes only. Enjoy!**

Prelude

Karakura Town

The young woman stepped off the bus and hoisted her bag to her shoulder. She was so tired and ached from the cramped ride but she still had much to do before she could rest.

She slowly made her way through the bus station and out to the bustling streets of Karakura Town. It was a little overwhelming to be around so many people again. Most of her life had been lived in seclusion. This massive throng of people was oppressive, bordering on claustrophobic.

_How can people stand this?_ she wondered. She shrugged and slowly made her way out into the town proper, pulling out a sheet of paper containing her new address and a list of directions as she went.

Despite the crowds, it was easy to side-step around people as she simultaneously walked and read where she was supposed to go. She could sense the people around her and would easily move out of the way of a person who clearly wasn't paying attention.

Occasionally the young woman would look up to find street signs, but for the most part she was absorbed in the piece of paper she tightly held. The place she would be staying was east of the bus station in the southern part of town. It was an apartment complex that catered to young people and was therefore, relatively cheap.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to pry but do you require assistance?" a formal voice said suddenly behind her, breaking her concentration.

She jumped and spun to see who had spoken to her. It was a young man. He was slender and tall, with a serious look about him. This idea was reinforced by his pristine shirt and tie and perfectly pressed slacks.

"Why do you think that I require assistance?" she asked warily, not wanting to be caught off guard. The young man smirked and blushed slightly as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"You were looking so intently at your map, I thought you were lost." he answered simply. The girl relaxed and returned his smile.

"You're partly right. I do need some help. I'm new to Karakura Town and I am trying to find my new apartment." she replied, slightly embarrassed.

"Where is it at?" he asked, eager to help.

"Here's the address. It's in the Sakurabashi District, according to the directions." she replied and handed him her paper.

The young man glanced at it and the young woman was relieved when she saw his eyes light up with recognition.

"Ah yes, I know where this is." he looked up and smiled, "You are heading in the right direction."

He pointed down the road they were on, "Keep on this road. You'll pass the Karasu River. Four blocks down you'll enter your district and then you'll turn left. Your building will be on that street."

The young woman listened closely then followed his gaze down the street. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw what was on his wrist. There dangled a thin, silver chain with a single silver charm. The charm itself was a circle that contained a cross.

_It can't be!_ she thought, _I must be seeing things!_

"Are you ok, miss?" the young man asked, a concerned look now on his face. She looked back to him and smiled again.

"Yes of course! I'm sorry but I realized that I really must be going. Thank you so much!" She bowed slightly and rushed down the street.

"Wait! May I know your name?" he called after her. She spun about and paused for a moment.

"Ur-I mean- Hokama!" She waved and then turned back around, continuing her race down the street. She had to get to her apartment and think on this strange turn of events.

Uryu Ishida watched the beautiful girl as she raced down the street, duffel bag slung over her shoulder.

He had been exiting a book shop when he had spotted her looking so intently at a piece of paper. She was over five and a half feet with a curvy, athletic build and lightly tanned skin. Her hair was wavy and appeared to be a warm, golden color and had been pulled back in a loose ponytail. He had been surprised when the light shifted on it. It looked like someone had spun strands of silver amidst the waves of gold.

Uryu had also been captivated by her deep, blue eyes. Almost like the eyes of a Quincy. Uryu chuckled at the absurd thought.

"Hokama-san." he mused to himself. She appeared to be his age; maybe he would see her at school. He hoped so.

Akemi Hokama had moved into her new apartment by late afternoon. She had finished her paperwork and received her keys in short order.

The apartment came fully furnished so she was spared the trouble of having to purchase new furniture of dishware. Although, she would need to purchase some decorations to liven the bare walls.

Once she had finished eating her dinner of take-out and washed, she collapsed onto her new bed. Her thoughts went back to the young man who had helped her. He had been so handsome and kind.

_Could he be a Quincy?_ she wondered.

She looked at the bracelet dangling from her fingers. It had been her mother's and was similar to the one the young man had worn.

Akemi closed her eyes, laughed, and clutched the bracelet to her chest. For the first time in her long travels, the young woman had a reason to feel hope.

**(I like the flow and direction of the prelude but I feel like something is missing. If you notice something please leave a comment. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the story. More to come soon.)**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The First Day

Ichigo Kurosaki was greeted in the morning by a loud, buzzing noise. He groaned and swiped at, the only possible source of the noise, his alarm clock. His hand grazed it once and then he blindly felt around until he finally found the snooze button. Once again, his room was blissfully silent.

Having succeeded, he sighed contentedly and nestled deeper under his covers. From downstairs, he could hear his sisters getting breakfast ready. However, even the promise of a good breakfast couldn't pull him from his comfortable bed.

Suddenly he heard a slight creak in his floorboards, and though half-asleep, Ichigo's body tensed. Only one person would be sneaking around his room.

"GOOD MORNING, ICHIGO!" He could feel his father's presence flying towards him. Quickly, Ichigo rolled onto his back and braced his legs against his chest. As soon as he felt his father's body press against his feet, Ichigo launched his legs out straight.

Isshin Kurosaki yelped in surprise as he flew backwards and landed with a loud smack against the opposite wall.

Downstairs, Karin and Yuzu Kurosaki just shook their heads in disappointment. Their father and brother were such children.

Suddenly their father came rolling down the stairs and landed in a heap at the bottom. He was soon followed by an angry Ichigo stomping down the whole way.

"What the hell is wrong with you, old man? Why can't you act like a normal dad? Sheesh!" Ichigo groaned and once he reached the bottom, he stepped over the mess that was his father and headed for the kitchen.

He groaned again as he sullenly sat at the kitchen table.

"Good morning, Ichigo!" Yuzu said brightly as she placed a plate of eggs and toast in front of him. Ichigo's face softened a little at the sight of his sister.

"Good morning, Yuzu." He looked to the other end of the table to his other sister, "Morning, Karin."

Ichigo's younger sisters smiled at him, happy that he wasn't going to remain a grouch throughout the morning.

Karin was the tomboy of the pair and was involved in as many sports as possible at school. At five feet even, she was slightly taller than Yuzu and had a light complexion and dark hair like her father.

Yuzu was more girly and bearing greater resemblance to her mother; had a more gentle temperament than both her brother and sister. After their mother had died, Yuzu had taken over the cooking and majority of the cleaning in the Kurosaki household.

By the time Ichigo had started eating; their father had extricated himself from the bottom of the stairs and entered the kitchen. Isshin Kurosaki hugged his daughters and sighed dramatically.

"Thank goodness for my lovely daughters who take care of us and listen to whatever lessons I give them!" he loudly stated then sighed again and looked straight at Ichigo, "Unlike their ungrateful brother!"

Karin could see her brother was on the verge of exploding so she hurried to diffuse the situation before another fight broke out.

"Uh Dad, I don't think Ichigo is ungrateful. More like he'd respond better if your lessons weren't so…uh…violent." she replied.

"Nonsense, dear!" he scoffed, "Ichigo is a man and must be tested properly so he can protect himself and his family." Ichigo rolled his eyes, pushed back his unfinished plate, and went back upstairs to finish getting ready.

The walk to school had been wonderfully uneventful. Ichigo hadn't even been bothered by Rukia. The petite Soul Reaper had gone to school early to work on a project with Renji and Chad. Ichigo was grateful for some quiet. Unfortunately, the quiet wouldn't last.

"Ichigoooooo!" a voice yelled from his side, as he approached the high school. Without looking, Ichigo stepped backward and instead of colliding with Ichigo, Keigo Asano went sailing into a wall.

"Owwww. Why do you have to be so mean, Ichigo." the poor young man whined from the ground.

"Maybe when you stop acting like such an idiot." Ichigo grumbled. Keigo quickly recovered and ignored his friend's last comment. He stood and dusted off his school uniform.

"Anyway, Ichigo, while you've been skulking about, I've been doing important reconnaissance." Keigo said, attempting to sound important. Ichigo eyed his friend in disbelief.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that I found out that we've got a new girl in our class and she's HOT!" he exclaimed. He was like a hyperactive puppy that was grating on your last nerve. Ichigo failed to see how this was important.

In any case, he only had eyes for one girl. Not that he would admit that to Keigo. Or anyone else for that matter. Suddenly his thoughts were broken by Keigo dragging him into the main school entrance.

"See?" Keigo screeched in excitement, "There she is talking with Tatsuki!" Ichigo followed his excitable friend's gaze and down the hall, just past the drab main office, he saw her speaking with the new girl.

Tatsuki was about average height for a girl and slender and she kept her blue-black hair short in a boyish pixie-cut. Despite her slender appearance, Tatsuki was incredibly strong. She studied martial arts and took them quite seriously, even competing in professional tournaments.

In comparison, the new girl was completely different from Tatsuki. She was taller than his friend and had a curvier, slightly muscular build. Like any young male, Ichigo could appreciate the nice way she filled out her school uniform. She also seemed to have a kind face and striking blue eyes. Her hair was long and the sides were pulled back but a few strands hung loose in her face.

"See? She's gorgeous!" Keigo exclaimed again, "Our class is so lucky. First with Orihime Inoue and now this stunning new girl. Honestly, I don't see how they expect us to study." Ichigo rolled his eyes and headed to class.

When he arrived to the plain, white-walled room, only a few people were already in their seats though the bell had not yet rung. In the back at their usual seats were Rukia and Renji. Chad was with them, probably still working on their project. A row in front of them sat Orihime. As if sensing his arrival, she looked up from her work, brushing strands of hair from her face, and smiled at Ichigo. She gave a brief wave then went back to her work. Ichigo smiled and blushed slightly.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, as the saying goes: you make a better door than a window." The crisp, agitated retort snapped Ichigo back to reality and from his good mood. He looked down and two rows in front of him sat Uryu Ishida, class know-it-all and casual acquaintance of Ichigo's. In Ichigo's opinion, Uryu was just too uptight and that was why they didn't get along.

It also didn't help that Uryu was a Quincy and Ichigo was a Soul Reaper. The Soul Reapers had essentially obliterated the Quincy race because they deemed that the Quincy method of obliteration Hollows was disruptive and dangerously unbalanced the spiritual realm.

Ichigo had not been a part of the Quincy purge but Uryu hated him anyway. In school, Ichigo tried to avoid Uryu but most times confrontation could not be avoided.

"What's your problem, Uryu? Class hasn't even started yet. What could possibly be so important that you need to see?" Ichigo replied curtly. Uryu frowned and pushed his glasses up at the bridge of his nose.

"None of your business, Ichigo." then as Ichigo passed he whispered angrily, "Idiot Soul Reaper."

"Damn Quincy." Ichigo muttered back. Keigo, meanwhile, was oblivious to all this and was still chattering on about merits of the new girl, who by now was speaking with their teacher.

Ichigo sat next to Orihime, close to the window and sullenly got out his materials for class. Soon the warning bell rang and a flood of people entered the class. By the last bell, the entire class was full and the only people left standing were the teacher and the new girl.

In front of him, Ichigo could already hear Chizuru muttering angrily to Tatsuki. Something about "Not as good as my Hime" and "No good tramp." Ichigo sighed and shook his head and looked forward as their teacher presented the new girl to the class.

"Everyone, attention please. We have a new student. Her name is Akemi Hokama and this is her first time at a public school. Please make her feel welcome to Karakura High." the teacher announced brightly.

Akemi looked uncomfortable but stood quietly and stick-straight as the teacher spoke.

"Now who would like to help Akemi catch up on what we've covered so far this semester?" She looked around until her eyes rested on the front of the class.

"Uryu! Thank you so much for volunteering! That's very kind of you. Hokama-san, please sit next to Uryu and then we will begin."

The new girl nodded to her teacher then visibly relaxed and actually smiled as she shyly sat next to her new classmate. As she sat down, Ichigo could have sworn that he saw Uryu blush. He had a feeling that things were going to get interesting.

At lunch, the group met on the roof like usual. Renji and Rukia sat close together sharing their food with each other. Tatsuki was busy keeping Chizuru away from Orihime between bites of her food. Chad was quietly eating his lunch, the big man not saying much but still enjoying the company of his friends. Lastly, Orihime was chatting excitedly with Uryu about the new girl.

Well, Orihime was chatting, Uryu was mostly listening and occasionally offering a short response.

"How is working with Akemi-chan? We should have her come out with us. She could use some friends." the bubbly healer said as she ate her latest culinary concoction.

"Hokama-san is very pleasant and I agree. We should get to know her better." Uryu replied, happily.

"Geez Uryu, you don't always have to be so damn formal all the time." Ichigo grumbled. Renji snickered at the comment but was quickly silenced him when Rukia elbowed him in the side. Uryu glared at Ichigo.

"Not everyone has to be an uncouth, immature fool like you."

Orihime nearly choked on her food as she noticed the rising tension and quickly sought a way to diffuse the situation. She looked through the roof fence and suddenly brightened.

"Look!" she cried, "There's Akemi-chan!" Uryu quickly forgot his argument with Ichigo and followed the excited healer's stare. Sure enough, there she was sitting in the shade of a tree, eating her lunch. She appeared to be deep in thought.

Before Uryu could stop his friend, Orihime was racing down the stairs. In a matter of minutes, the gentle healer was approaching Akemi and soon they were talking. It wasn't too long after that Akemi was packing up her things and following Orihime.

When Orihime returned with her new friend in tow, everyone greeted her warmly. Rukia, of course, was overly cheerful while Renji gave a grin and a lazy wave. Chad gave a short 'Hi' in his deep, rumbling voice while Ichigo simply smiled and waved. Tatsuki also gave a welcoming smile and quickly silenced Chizuru when the odd girl tried to say something disparaging to Akemi.

Akemi happily greeted them all then smiled when she faced Uryu.

"Hello again, Ishida-kun." she said shyly. Uryu smiled back and quickly bowed.

"Hello, Hokama-san. Please join us for lunch." he said quickly. Ichigo almost spat out his drink at the spectacle. Uryu was usually so calm and collected but now he was nervous and a little twitchy.

Ichigo grinned at the thought of Uryu having a crush. That soon gave him a devious idea.

"Hey! How about we all go to the movies on Friday? Hokama-kun, you should join us!"

The look on Uryu's face alone was worth any trouble Ichigo would get in.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Second Day

Urahara Shop

Kisuke Urahara quietly prepared his morning tea then headed to his sleeping quarters in the back of his shop. His wooden clogs rapped lightly against the wooden floors as he walked. As he slid open the screen door to his room, he made sure no one was around then entered and slid the door back behind him.

He slowly set down his tea and opened a small, wooden cabinet next to his bed. Inside on one shelf was a few objects, namely a necklace, a small stack of letters, and in the center was a rectangular picture frame.

He knelt before the cabinet and sipped his tea as he looked at the picture. In it was a young man with a slender, handsome face and ruffled silver-white hair. He was dressed in a traditional, simple black kimono. He had a content smile on his face.

Next to the man was a woman. She too wore a kimono but hers was a dark blue with a white sash around her middle. She had a big smile that reached her shining blue eyes. Her golden hair was loosely gathered at the base of her neck and draped over her slender shoulder.

They were sitting and between them they held a baby. It was a girl and she had been two years old when the picture was taken. She wore a simple, white robe and had wispy white-blonde hair. Kisuke sighed sadly and took another sip of tea.

"Being depressed won't bring them back." a female voice said gently from the doorway. Kisuke didn't have to look to see who it was. He smiled sadly and took another sip of tea.

"I know, Yoruichi." he replied, "I am simply remembering them."

"Koji made his choice, Kisuke." she reminded him sternly.

"And the Soul Society should have honored his choice." he answered a bit sharply. Yoruichi Shihoin nodded and slowly knelt beside Kisuke. She looked at the picture and then back at Kisuke.

"Do you think the child is alive?" she asked softly.

"It's possible. Her father's zanpakto was never recovered. If she is alive, it could have chosen her to wield it."

"But…?" she prodded, knowing there was more than what he was saying.

"But to be honest, I'm afraid to find out. It is easier to hope that she is alive and not look than to look and find out that she is truly dead. In this one thing I am a coward." he explained, feeling ashamed as he said it.

Yoruichi had no words of comfort to ease Kisuke's mind. This had been going on for fourteen years. She didn't know what she could do to bring him peace.

Karakura High School

Akemi slowly emerged from the girls' locker room, glad to be out of her ridiculous uniform. She tucked her bracelet into her pocket and her necklace under her t-shirt then went to join the others in the practice field.

Today the girls' class was joining with the boys' class. As she walked, she could already see Tatsuki and Orihime. From the boys' class, Akemi spotted tall Chad first followed by Ichigo and Uryu nearby.

Her heart fluttered when she saw Uryu. Already she was getting to know the young man well and she enjoyed his company. She felt like there could be something between them. It was the happiest Akemi had been in a long time. She smiled to herself and stood with Orihime and Tatsuki.

"Alright everyone, listen up!" the burly gym teacher called out gruffly. All side chatter ceased and the students looked forward.

"As you can see, we're mixing the classes. Reason being that we're starting archery today and it's easier to teach both classes at once. I'll be splitting you up into pairs. When you hear your name called go find a station and start practicing. I'll be walking around to help if there are any problems."

All students nodded and waited to hear for their names. Akemi couldn't believe her luck! This would be easy. Though she was slightly dismayed when her name was called. She had been paired with Ichigo, while Orihime had been paired with Uryu. Akemi noticed that Ichigo was a little disappointed as well.

"You wish you were with Inoue-kun don't you?" she asked as they walked to their station. Ichigo jumped in surprise.

"N-no! That's ridiculous! Why would you say that?" Ichigo replied, obviously flustered. Akemi gave a small, reassuring smile.

"It's ok. I won't tell. It's not my place."

Ichigo calmed and returned the smile.

"C'mon." he said, "Let's get started. Unfortunately, I don't know much about archery so I won't be much help." He handed Akemi the bow and stood back.

It was a simple wooden bow. Akemi tested the strength of the bowstring and then inspected the arrows.

"It's ok, Kurosaki-kun. I think I'll be just fine." she assured him. Ichigo nodded in acquiescence and gave his classmate some space. Akemi chose an arrow and stared down to the target before properly aiming. Her mother's kind voice sounded in her memory.

_Remember Akemi, visualize the target and steady your breathing. When you calm your breathing, you calm yourself. Take aim and then just let go. The arrow will do the rest._

The young woman tested the wind for direction and speed then stood strong and properly set her arrow. She steadied herself and sighted down the length of her arm to the target. Finally she released the arrow and with a twang of the bowstring, the arrow sped down to the target.

Ichigo watched in awe as it hit with a solid pop to the slight left of the bull's-eye.

"Wow." he breathed, "That was awesome!" His classmate frowned as she chose another arrow.

"I'm out of practice. I can do better." she said simply and took aim again. As Akemi prepared her shot, Ichigo suddenly sensed an increase in spiritual pressure.

_Where is it coming from?_ he wondered curiously. He looked around the yard and saw that Uryu and Rukia had noticed it too. However, the source was unknown. Ichigo shrugged and turned back to Akemi. Soon after, she released her second arrow.

Once again the arrow sped away then solidly hit the target. Ichigo gawked open-mouthed when he saw where it had hit. Perfectly dead-center of the bull's-eye.

"Ah, that's more like it." Akemi said, more to herself than to Ichigo and smiled in satisfaction. She then turned to her intimidated classmate and handed him the bow.

"Your turn."

Ichigo had a much more difficult time than Akemi. He felt awkward with the bow and even with Akemi's calm tutelage; his shots were wild and landed all over the target. His classmate was patient though and soon Ichigo managed to at least cluster his shots to the left side of the target. It wasn't bad in Akemi's eyes, he just needed practice.

When class ended, Ichigo walked with Akemi back to the school.

"So where'd you learn to shoot like that?" he asked curiously.

"My mother taught me. She was an excellent archer." Akemi replied proudly. Ichigo's eyes perked in interest.

"Was? Does she not do it anymore?" Akemi's smile vanished and she suddenly seemed sad.

"She died. There was an accident. Both she and my father are gone." she replied softly. Ichigo's face fell and inside he felt like a jerk for bringing it up.

"I'm so sorry." he replied.

"It's not your fault. You didn't know." They were quiet for a moment then Ichigo spoke again.

"My mom's gone too." he said, voice still soft, "If you ever need to talk…" He let the offer hang between them but Akemi understood. She smiled and nodded in acceptance.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun." Akemi said and was about to leave for the girls' locker room, but Ichigo stopped her.

"We're friends now. You can call me Ichigo." he said warmly and held out his hand. Akemi's smile grew and she took his hand in hers.

"Thank you…Ichigo."

Nearby, Rukia and a newly arrived Renji watched the two as other students filtered back into the locker rooms.

"Do you think it was her?" Renji asked curiously, nodding over to Akemi. Rukia frowned as she continued to watch the new girl.

"It's possible. All we know is it wasn't any of us or a hollow. We'll keep an eye on her. Hopefully it is nothing." she replied and with that, the two Soul Reapers re-entered the school.

Rukia hoped it was nothing. They were all in need of a break. Too much had happened in such a short time. First it had been Rukia's trial followed by Aizen's betrayal, and then soon after the Bount fiasco. Now they finally had some time to relax and catch their breath. They didn't need another incident right now.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Movie Night

The rest of the school week passed rather quickly, mostly due to all the school work Akemi had to do. Finally, it was Friday and time for the planned movie outing. After school Akemi rushed home and began to prepare. She washed quickly then spent an agonizing hour trying to decide what to wear. Akemi didn't have much and she hadn't been able to go shopping beforehand.

She finally decided on a knee-length, cornflower blue dress. It had a modest v-neck and delicate cap sleeves. Her only jewelry was a silver necklace with a matching locket with gold bands on either side of it. She then took up her bracelet, thinking on if she should wear it or not.

_C'mon, Akemi. Courage now. Uryu will understand. You have to tell him._ she thought, attempting to bolster her confidence. She took a deep breath and resolved to tell Uryu that night after the movie. Until then she would keep her bracelet tucked safely in her purse. Once that was done, she went back to getting ready.

As she was doing her hair, Akemi heard a knock on the door. Curious to see who it was, Akemi ran to the door. To her surprise, she saw Orihime and Tatsuki through the peephole.

"Akemi-chan! Surprise!" Orihime called happily as she waved at the peephole. Tatsuki only smirked and shook her head at Orihime's over-enthusiasm. Akemi chuckled and unlocked the door.

"Orihime-kun, Tatsuki-chan! How did you find where I live?" she asked as she let her friends into the apartment.

"Tatsuki found you. I mean, I live in this building too and when Tatsuki was waiting for me to buzz her in, she noticed your name on one of the mailboxes." Orihime answered happily. "I'm so excited! We're neighbors!"

"Yeah I'm surprised this is the first time you guys found out." Tatsuki added, more sedate than her friend.

"I've been coming home later due to all the work I've had to do with Uryu. We've probably passed each other and never noticed." Akemi offered, "But it doesn't matter now. Let me finish getting ready. Please make yourselves at home."

Orihime and Tatsuki sat on the couch in the small living room as Akemi rushed back to her bathroom to finish getting ready. Orihime smoothed out her pink skirt as she looked around the room.

To their right was the small foyer where they had just entered the apartment. Further ahead on the right was the entrance to the small kitchen. To their left was a large window that allowed one to look out over Karakura Town. However, it was the item under the window that had caught Orihime's attention. She got up from the couch, moving closer to get a better look.

"What is it, Orihime?" Tatsuki asked, staying on the couch. Orihime knelt before a black stand that had two shelves. On the bottom shelf was an assortment of items: a stack of letters, seashells, a small glass bottle full of sand, and a small, wooden keepsake box.

On the top shelf were the two most interesting items. On its own smaller stand was a sword in a black sheath. The sheath had a polished black lacquer, the guard was golden and was etched with unrecognizable symbols, and lastly, the hilt was decorated with black and gold filigree.

It was so beautiful but when Orihime tried to touch it, an unseen energy buzzed along her arm like an electric shock. The startled young woman pulled her arm away quickly.

"You ok, Orihime?" Tatsuki asked.

"Yeah, it was nothing. I thought I saw a spider." Orihime lied and turned her attention from the curious sword to the second item on the shelf. It was a simple, wooden picture frame and the picture it held showed a young couple and their small child.

The young man had silvery-white hair and was dressed in a simple t-shirt and cloth shorts and he sat smiling at the camera. His wife sat next to him, golden hair tied back and trailing down her shoulder. She was wearing a long, white skirt and a light green blouse. She too was smiling.

In front of them was a little girl, about four years old. She wore blue shorts and a cute tank top with little flowers on it. Strapped to her hip was a small plastic sword and in her hands was a toy bow and arrow. Her white-blond hair was messy in the way that only a little child's could be and her smile lit up her whole face.

Despite the odd toys for a little girl, Orihime thought it was an adorable picture. They all were just so happy.

"Those are my parents. That's my shrine to them." Akemi said suddenly. Both girls turned to her in surprise.

"We're sorry. We didn't mean to pry." Orihime apologized. Akemi shook her head.

"No, you don't need to be sorry. I'm glad that you got to see them." she replied as she wrapped a white knit shawl around her shoulders. The other two girls smiled. Tatsuki then checked her watch and her eyes got wide.

"Uh not to be rude or anything but we need to get going and meet up with everyone else." she said, tapping her watch. Before long, the girls gathered their things and hurried out, with Akemi locking up behind them.

No sooner had they exited the building when they saw the guys plus Rukia approaching the building. They all said their 'hellos' and Orihime excitedly told them how Tatsuki discovered that Akemi was Orihime's neighbor.

Uryu took the moment of distraction and approached Akemi, smiling shyly.

"Hokama-san…" he began but Akemi stopped him.

"Please call me Akemi. We're not strangers." Uryu's smile widened and he straightened his glasses.

"Only if you call me Uryu." he replied happily.

"Ok…Uryu." She smiled as she said his name. Uryu thought he would pass out with how fast his heart was racing. He had never felt this way for anyone before.

"Akemi, may I escort you to the theater?" he asked nervously.

"You mean like a date?" she asked innocently. There, she had said it. Uryu's intentions had been laid bare and now he was keenly aware of his friends staring at them.

"This is almost better than a movie." he could hear Tatsuki whisper. Uryu did his best to ignore them and focus on Akemi.

"Y-yes. I mean like a date." he answered, trying to keep his voice from cracking. The smile that she gave him erased all of his worries.

"Yes! I would love to go on a date with you!" she exclaimed. Their friends cheered as Uryu offered his arm and Akemi looped hers through it.

Not to be outdone by Uryu, the rest of the guys offered their arms to the other girls. Chad walked with Tatsuki, Renji with Rukia, and Ichigo with Orihime. When Orihime wasn't looking, Akemi gave a thumbs-up sign to Ichigo in approval. Ichigo slightly blushed and nodded back to her.

The theater they were heading toward was a few blocks northeast of the apartment. It was a small, family-owned place that showed mostly independent movies. Some had even been filmed locally in town.

As they neared the theater, Orihime had the strangest feeling, like they were being watched. She leaned closer to Ichigo, trying not to attract attention from the others.

"Ichigo, do you feel that? I think something is here." she whispered anxiously. Ichigo looked around, trying to see anything out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, he wasn't very sensitive to changes in spiritual pressure but he did notice that something wasn't right. The area just seemed to quiet, too still. There wasn't even the sound of crickets.

Then suddenly out of the darkness sprang four huge figures. The great beasts ran on four legs and were over seven feet tall. Most of their bodies were covered with sickly green scales while the rest was covered with dirty gray fur. It was as if someone had merged together a dragon and a wolf. In the center of each beast's chest was a big, black hole.

"Hollows!" Ichigo called in alarm back to his friends as each beast moved to trap one of the pairs.

Both Soul Reapers transformed out of their gigai while Ichigo used his substitute badge to transform. Orihime navigated past the beast to help Chad protect Tatsuki.

Uryu pushed Akemi behind him and made sure his Quincy cross was free of his sleeve.

"Akemi, stay behind me. If you can, get to Orihime and Chad!" he shouted as he faced off against their hollow.

"I'm not leaving you!" she shouted back. Uryu was surprised that she hadn't questioned him but he couldn't think further on it. The ugly hollow roared and charged toward them.

Uryu and Akemi were forced to separate and the beast ended up following Akemi. Uryu rolled to the side and summoned his Quincy bow from his spiritual energy. He quickly took aim and fired straight at the beast.

The spirit arrow raced away and when it made contact, tore straight through the beast right before it could reach Akemi.

Despite the size of their opponents, the others had their enemies defeated in short order. Once back in their bodies, Rukia, Renji, and Ichigo went to see how everyone else had fared. Ichigo personally wasn't looking forward to explaining this to Tatsuki or Akemi.

He was just heading over to Uryu and Akemi when he noticed movement behind and to the left of Uryu. Another of the beasts sprang forth, claws and teeth bared menacingly.

"Uryu! Get away!" he yelled frantically, with no way to help Uryu. Ichigo raced to his friend without enough time to change back to his Soul Reaper form.

Suddenly a bright golden arrow sliced through the darkness. It connected with the beast just as it reached Uryu. The young Quincy stared in awe as the arrow sliced through the deadly creature, utterly destroying it and leaving nothing in its wake.

Ichigo and Uryu followed the path back to where the arrow had originated and were shocked to see the source had been Akemi. Her bow was similar to Uryu's but was golden in color. Neither of them knew what to say. It was Tatsuki who finally broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Now that was way better than a movie!"

Soul Society

Night had fallen across the Sereitei as another peaceful day had ended. It was late and most of the researchers had left the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. One of the few people left inside was Nemu Kurutsuchi, lieutenant of the 12th Division.

She was busy tidying up one of the captain's private labs. She was the only one allowed to enter and touch anything in these special rooms.

As she cleaned, Nemu noticed that a seldom-used monitor was beeping. On top of it, a small, red light blinked rapidly. Nemu's right eyebrow curved slightly upward in curiosity. Quickly she put down what she was working on and rushed to the adjoining lab. There her captain, Mayuri Kurutsuchi, was busy working on another experiment.

"Nemu, I told you not to bother me!" he shouted angrily before she could speak. He didn't bother looking up from his work. This didn't appear to phase Nemu.

"Sir, there is a monitor beeping in the next lab. I have never seen this monitor in use before." she reported flatly.

"Shut it off then, stupid girl!" he replied annoyed.

"But sir, there is a sign above it saying that at no point should this monitor be turned off." she answered, voice still flat and emotionless. Mayuri suddenly stopped his work and actually turned to face Nemu.

"The monitor in the back corner?" he asked voice suddenly soft and hopeful. She nodded and suddenly a giant smile spread across his painted face. Without saying a word to his lieutenant, he sprang from his chair and raced into the other lab.

By the time Nemu joined him he was already typing furiously on the keyboard of that corner monitor.

"Is everything alright, sir?" she asked. She'd never seen him acting so frenzied before. The captain of the 12th division let out a maniacal cackle and turned away from the screen.

"Yes, Nemu! I dare say it is better than alright!" he replied excitedly. "Something has happened that I've been waiting years for." he added, "Quick, Nemu! I need you to pack. We're going to the land of the living!"

With that said, he started cackling again. Nemu, still unfazed, simply bowed and left to do as she was ordered.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Confessions

After the Hollows attack, the group decided to scrap their plans for the movie. Chad offered to walk Tatsuki home while Orihime, Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji went to get something to eat at a new pizza parlor nearby. That left Uryu alone with Akemi.

They walked to a park that was closer to Akemi's apartment. Neither of them spoke as they walked. Uryu was still in shock from what he had seen. He didn't know what to say to Akemi. Meanwhile, Akemi kept glancing nervously at Uryu. His face was an expressionless mask. She had no clue as what he might be feeling at that moment.

Finally they both sat down at a bench. Both were tense as they sat apart.

"Uryu, are you mad at me?" Akemi asked hesitantly. She only slightly turned her head to look at him. Uryu looked at her in surprise and actually let out a short laugh.

"No! Absolutely not!" he replied and Akemi's shoulders visibly relaxed. Uryu shifted so he was completely facing her and took her hands in his.

"If anything, I'm just shocked. For so long I thought that I was the last. I never imagined that there was someone else out there that was like me." he explained, "Us meeting now and what happened tonight? I feel like it's a blessing. I don't know how else to describe it."

Akemi's eyes began to fill with joyful tears.

"I feel the same way, Uryu. When I came here, I had lost all hope that any Quincy still existed. And then we met and I saw your cross and I couldn't believe it. I was going to tell you tonight." She laughed for a moment. "I never thought that I would be thankful for an attack from Hollows!"

Uryu smiled and pushed up his glasses.

"No, me either." he admitted. He looked at Akemi and noticed that a few of her curls had come loose during the fight. They looked like spun silver as they framed her face in the moonlight. His heart raced as he thought how beautiful she was. He then decided that this night was a night for taking risks.

Uryu slowly leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against Akemi's. She gripped his hands tighter and returned the gentle kiss.

When Uryu pulled away he saw tears had streamed down Akemi's face. With one hand he wiped away her tears and he smiled. She smiled back and pressed her forehead to his.

"This is a new start for the both of us." she whispered happily.

"Yes. A new start together." Uryu added then he kissed her again.

For the rest of the weekend, Uryu and Akemi were rarely apart. They wandered about Karakura Town's shopping district and relaxed at a café. They even had a picnic at the park near Akemi's apartment.

During that time, Uryu learned that Akemi's mother Mayumi had been a Quincy. Akemi lovingly spoke of her mother's amazing ability and her kindness and compassion. He also learned that after her parents' deaths, Akemi had been raised by her Quincy grandmother. However, she had passed away when Akemi was thirteen and the young woman had been on her own ever since.

Uryu then told her about his father and how he had abandoned their Quincy heritage. Akemi learned that Uryu had trained under his grandfather. Uryu seemed to brighten when he spoke of his grandfather and mentor.

Both of them had lost family due to the machinations of Soul Reapers. Uryu especially was incredibly bitter about it.

Uryu then realized at one point that Akemi seemed to want to say more on it but that she seemed to hold back. He was eager to have her tell him but he figured that she would tell him when she was ready.

On Monday, school had been cancelled due to teacher meetings. During the day, Akemi was going out with Rukia and Orihime. In the evening she was joining Uryu for dinner with his father. It was the one day that Ryuken was getting home early and Uryu wanted to take advantage of it.

For most of the day, Uryu cleaned the house and ran errands. When he returned home he quickly showered, changed, and then began to cook. Uryu may have been a school genius and a wizard with sewing, but cooking was a little beyond him. However, he wanted this dinner to be special so he would try to do his best.

When he was close to finishing dinner the doorbell rang. He turned the temperature down on the stove and rushed to the door. Akemi greeted him with a wide smile when he opened it.

"Akemi! You're a little early." he said surprised as he let her in.

"Yes. I'm sorry. I'm so nervous about meeting your father that I didn't want to risk being late." she replied then kissed Uryu's cheek. Uryu caught the scent of her perfume as her lips grazed his cheek and his knees almost buckled. He quickly regained his composure and hung up her purse and shawl in the hall closet and then led her to the kitchen.

"So what did you make for us, Chef?" Akemi joked as she checked the pots on the stove.

"Well, I made udon noodles and stir-fried beef, shrimp, and some vegetables. I have to admit that this was an experiment. I don't cook much." he replied. Akemi nodded and grabbed a spoon. She tried a small scoop of the stir-fry mixture and crinkled her nose as she chewed.

"Oh no. It's bad isn't it?" Uryu groaned.

"No, not bad. The meat and vegetables are cooked perfectly. It's just missing something." she answered honestly. Absorbed in thought, she wandered around the kitchen, grabbing spices and adding some to the pot. She then added a few hearty dashes of soy sauce.

Uryu admired her as she worked. She looked stunning in a short-sleeved, white button-down shirt that tucked into a knee-length, pleated sky-blue skirt. Her silvery-gold hair trailed behind her as she moved. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her Quincy cross dangling from her wrist. He couldn't believe how lucky he had become.

Out of the corner of her eye, Akemi noticed Uryu watching her. He looked so handsome leaning against the kitchen wall. He wore black dress pants and white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Over his shirt he wore a black vest and a cerulean tie that accented his eyes. Akemi smiled to herself and scooped some more of the finished meat mixture and held it out to Uryu.

"Try it now." she said sweetly. Uryu took a bite and his eyes widened as he chewed.

"Wow. That's impressive. What did you do?" he said after he swallowed the transformed food.

"It's a Hokama family secret." she replied coyly as she turned off the stove.

"I just wish I knew what I did wrong. I followed the recipe exactly." Uryu said exasperated as he studied a sheet of paper. Akemi smiled lovingly and pulled away the paper.

"You didn't do anything wrong. You were just too conservative with your spices." she replied and again kissed him on the cheek.

"You know, many people would say that my son is conservative in many areas." a stern male voice said from the doorway. There stood Ryuken Ishida. He was slightly taller than Uryu and had the same slender build. He also dressed well, wearing an impeccably neat tan suit and blue tie. That's where the similarities with Uryu ended.

He had shorter hair that was completely white and a very stern face. His blue eyes were cold and Akemi imagined that if he smiled, that smile would not reach those serious blue orbs.

"Ryu-I mean, Father, I didn't hear you come in." Uryu stammered. He wasn't usually formal with his father but for Akemi's sake, tonight he would try and act like the respectful son.

Ryuken arched his eyebrow at Uryu's address to him but he let it go instead turning to regard Akemi.

"And who is this?" he asked curtly, "The new maid?" Both Uryu and Akemi stiffened at his callous statement. Uryu bit back an angry retort and took a deep breath.

"No, Father. This is my girlfriend, Akemi Hokama." he replied briskly. Akemi gave a shallow bow.

"Pleased to meet you, Ishida-san."

"Hokama-san, my apologies. Please let us sit down to dinner." he said and led her to the dining room. Uryu rolled his eyes in annoyance and prepared to serve them.

Unfortunately, the dinner did not improve from there. Uryu and Ryuken sat on opposite ends of the table while Akemi sat in the middle of one of the sides. After they had begun eating, Ryuken eyed Akemi.

"So Hokama-san, did you know that Uryu is at the top of his class?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. Uryu-kun is very smart. He's actually been helping me get caught up this term." she replied politely. Ryuken eyed her curiously.

"Caught up?" he asked, "Are you doing poorly in school?" He then turned angrily at his son.

"Are you so besotted with this girl that you're doing her homework? I thought I taught you better than that!"

Akemi cut in before Uryu could yell back at his father.

"Sir, I transferred late in the term. I am only catching up on the lessons I missed. I do my own work." she replied icily.

"I bet you do." Ryuken replied as he took a sip of his drink. Akemi bristled with anger and Uryu felt a sharp influx in spiritual pressure. Deep cracks suddenly appeared in their glasses. Akemi's eyes widened in disappointment and she quickly stood.

"Excuse me, Uryu. I need some fresh air." she said bitterly and she quickly fled the room. Before Ryuken could say anything, Uryu glared at him.

"I can't believe you! Must you be so callous and cold?" he roared.

"I was protecting you. You don't need the distractions right now. You need to focus so you can get into a good university." Ryuken replied calmly.

"Akemi-chan is not a distraction. In fact, she challenges me! She is intelligent and good and kind. Not least of all she understands me because…because she's a Quincy too!" Uryu exclaimed, surprising Ryuken. Then softly he added "She's wonderful and you ruined everything."

With that he rushed out of the room. He grabbed Akemi's things from the foyer and hurried outside to find her. Luckily she was near the front door. She stood huddled facing the front yard. Uryu couldn't hear her but he thought she was crying because her shoulders were shaking. He slowly approached her and wrapped her shawl around her.

She turned into his arms and cried into his chest. Uryu held her and kissed her head.

"I'm so sorry. C'mon. I'll take you home." he whispered. She nodded and walked with him to the garage. Out of spite, Uryu took his father's work car and sped off with Akemi into the night.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Surprises

The same night as Uryu's dinner date, Ichigo was training underneath Urahara's shop. Beneath the shop was a huge, rocky desert that seemed to stretch for miles. Even though it was night outside, inside the cavern was as bright as day. It was the perfect place to train without attracting attention to outsiders.

At that moment, Ichigo was dueling with Renji while Kisuke sat watching from a nearby boulder. Both soul reapers were at a stand-off, neither able to gain ground on the other. Kisuke smiled devilishly and decided to shake things up a bit.

"Hey, Ichigo! I hear you're dating Inoue-chan now!" he called out jovially. Ichigo stopped in surprise and glanced at Kisuke.

"What?" he replied, completely befuddled. Seeing Ichigo distracted, Renji rushed in and shoulder-checked Ichigo in the chest, sending him flying backwards. Renji laughed at the success of Kisuke's diversion as Ichigo landed far back into the dirt.

"Yeah, Ichigo! You two were looking pretty cozy at the pizza place on Friday." Renji added. Ichigo hopped up indignantly and glared at Renji.

"And what about you and Rukia? I wonder how Byakuya would react to you putting the moves on his sister!" he sniped back. Kisuke nearly fell over from laughter when he saw Renji's jaw drop in shock. When he finally regained composure, Kisuke saw that now Ichigo and Renji were just angrily attacking in a haphazard fashion.

_Time to break this up before things get out of hand._ he thought and whistled loudly. The piercing noise got both soul reapers to stop fighting and look at him.

"And that, gentlemen, is why you shut out distracting trash talk from your opponent. If you don't, you get angry and reckless and ultimately you lose." Kisuke said, acting like a wise teacher. Both Ichigo and Renji wanted to tell him off for annoying them but what he said was actually sound advice so they let it go.

After Ichigo returned to his body and Renji to his gigai, the trio headed back upstairs.

"You know, Kisuke, if you wanted to talk trash about people dating, you should have called up Uryu." Renji said casually. Kisuke's eyes perked in interest.

"Really? And who is our dear little Quincy seeing?" he asked curiously as he got a pitcher of water and glasses from the kitchen at the back of the building.

"She's a new girl at school." Ichigo answered, "Her name's Akemi Hokama. She's a Quincy too. Crazy, huh?"

A sudden crash caught Ichigo and Renji's attention. They rushed to the kitchen to find Kisuke staring off in shock with the glasses and pitcher a shattered mess at his feet.

"Ichigo, say that name again." Kisuke said softly, still in shock.

"Akemi Hokama." he repeated, still confused at the purpose behind this. Then Kisuke did something incredibly surprising and took off his signature green and white hat. Kisuke rubbed his eyes then grabbed Ichigo by the shoulders and looked at him seriously.

"Ichigo, I need you to tell me everything about her right now." he commanded. Ichigo nodded and started from the beginning while Kisuke had Renji clean up the mess. When Ichigo finished, Kisuke was leaning against the kitchen counter, a grave look on his face.

"Ichigo, tomorrow after school I need you to bring that girl here and make sure she brings something with her." Kisuke instructed then motioned for the younger soul reapers to follow him back to the shop. At the cash register Kisuke grabbed a piece of paper, scribbled down something, then handed it to Ichigo. He read it but was confused as to its meaning.

"Tell her to bring that with her. If you have to stop back at her apartment to get it, that's fine. If this girl is who I think she is, I can wait." Kisuke added.

"But what's so special about Akemi? How do you know her?" Renji asked.

"Don't question! Just do it!" Kisuke snapped angrily. Both young men were taken aback by Kisuke's strange behavior. Seeing his friends' concerned looks, Kisuke calmed down and sighed.

"I'm sorry. It's just that this is incredibly important. If I'm right, then this girl is in terrible danger. You need to get her here and with that item as soon as possible." Kisuke said. Ichigo and Renji nodded in understanding.

Ichigo left for home soon after and Renji retired to the back living room to sleep. With this new information ringing in his head, Kisuke couldn't sleep and he went to sit outside.

"You ok?" a voice asked gently. Yoruichi ruffled his hair and sat next to him on the porch.

"No, no I'm not. We'll see how tomorrow goes then ask me again." Kisuke replied cryptically. He plopped his hat back on his head and rested against Yoruichi's shoulder.

Tuesday-Karakura High School

The next day at school, Ichigo and Renji anxiously waited to speak with Akemi. They didn't have enough time before class had started and lunchtime was a bust because both she and Uryu were working with a teacher. As soon as the afternoon bell rang, both of them hurried to their lockers then searched for Akemi. Luckily, they found her with Uryu in the school courtyard.

"Akemi! Wait up!" Ichigo called out. Akemi turned then waved when she saw Ichigo and Renji. Uryu looked annoyed at the Substitute Soul Reaper's presence and any other time, Ichigo would have gladly exploited that. Unfortunately, Ichigo was on a mission.

"Hey, Akemi, could you come with us? A friend wants to meet you." Ichigo said.

"What friend? Don't I know all your friends now?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, Ichigo. What other friend?" Uryu replied suspiciously. Ichigo looked around then back at Uryu.

"Hat-and-clogs wants to meet her." he answered then turned back to Akemi. Meanwhile, Renji whispered to Uryu what was going on.

"Akemi, he also wants you to bring this item. Do you have it?" Ichigo asked and handed her Kisuke's note. Akemi's eyes widened in shock and her hands shook slightly as she read it. She looked back up to Ichigo and nodded.

"Yes, Ichigo. I have this item. It's in my apartment." she answered shakily.

"Ok, let's go." Renji said, looking around as if for spies.

"Wait. I'm coming too." Uryu replied.

"Uryu, we don't have time for this. We're on the clock." Ichigo said impatiently. Uryu frowned and angrily pushed up his glasses.

"Ichigo, if my girlfriend is in danger, I'll be damned if I'm just going to walk away. I'm going to help protect her." the proud Quincy answered. Ichigo groaned and ran a hand through his spiky, orange hair.

"Ok, fine. We need to hurry. C'mon." he replied. That said, the four friends ran off to Akemi's apartment. When they arrived, Akemi said she'd go up to retrieve the item alone. While the guys waited, they were met by Orihime and Rukia. Once they were informed on the situation, they too insisted that they come along to help.

Akemi soon returned with a large green duffel back strapped to her back. Uryu recognized it as the one she had when they first met.

"Ok great. Let's go." Ichigo said, satisfied with her quickness. As the others sped ahead, Akemi hung back for a moment with Uryu.

"Uryu, I need to tell you something before we go." she said quietly. Uryu became concerned and held her hands.

"What's wrong?"

"I just have a bad feeling about what's going to happen. I wanted you to know that no matters what happens today…" she trailed off, struggling to say the words.

"What is it, Akemi?" Uryu urged gently. She looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes.

"Just know that no matter what happens, everything that happened between us is real. All of it." Before Uryu could question her, Akemi wrapped her arms around him and kissed him passionately as if it would be their last. Then as quickly as the kiss had started, it was soon over and Akemi was off running after the others.

Uryu frowned with worry at Akemi's actions. What could she know that he didn't? Uryu shook his head and raced after the others.

It was late afternoon by the time the group reached Urahara's shop. The seemingly old-fashioned building was nestled among more modern skyscrapers. Uryu noticed Akemi looking around nervously as everyone entered the shop. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. She gave him a small smile and squeezed his hand back.

The inside of the shop looked like a common convenience store with rows of racks loaded with products for sale. The only difference was that all of the products catered to Soul Reapers.

They were greeted inside by Mr. Tessai, a tall, muscular man who helped run the Urahara shop.

"Hello, everyone. I will tell Kisuke you're here." he said and immediately headed to the back of the store. While they waited, Akemi went to browse the shelves, Uryu following closely behind. Kisuke entered the shop a few minutes later. He quickly greeted everyone who was by the entrance then asked Ichigo where he could find Akemi. Ichigo pointed to the side of the shop where Akemi and Uryu were browsing.

Slowly, Kisuke walked over to them and when he saw Akemi his breath caught in his throat. She was the image of her mother and had the assured stance and smile of her father.

"Akemi-chan?" he called to her hopefully. Akemi turned and a look of surprise and shock crossed her face.

"Kisuke-oji?"

Everyone was stunned when they heard Akemi. No one spoke and they all paid close attention to what happened next. Kisuke slowly approached Akemi and took her hands in his. When they touched, Kisuke fell to his knees.

"What's wrong?" Akemi cried out in alarm.

"I am so very sorry. I never came for you. I was a coward." he said sadly, "Please. I beg your forgiveness." Akemi fell to her knees and embraced the bereaved man.

"It wasn't your fault. In the end, it was probably better that you didn't find me. We didn't know if anyone was watching us. Besides, between grandmother and the sword I was well-shielded. We didn't want to be found." Akemi explained. Kisuke's eyes widened at the mention of the sword. He pushed Akemi to arms-length away.

"The sword! Did you bring it?" he asked urgently. Akemi nodded and patted her bag. Kisuke breathed a sigh of relief and helped bring himself and Akemi to their feet.

"Wait! What is going on? What does this all mean?" Uryu burst out exasperated. Kisuke looked at Akemi, urging her silently to tell Uryu.

"Uryu, it is true that my mother was a Quincy but I never told you about my father." she paused and everyone seemed to lean forward to hear her response. Inwardly, she steeled herself for Uryu's response to what she would say next.

"My father's name was Koji Urahara. He was a soul reaper."

"That's not possible!" Uryu cried out in disbelief, "You can't be one of them!" Akemi winced as if Uryu had struck her and she stepped back to her uncle. The others knew the reason behind Uryu's dismay but they were still ashamed of his outburst. Ichigo especially wanted to hit him for it.

"Come on, everyone. Let's go in back and we'll explain. I don't think we have much time." Kisuke replied, breaking the tension. Everyone filed through the door, eager to hear Akemi's story. Little did they know that they were being watched from outside. Kisuke was wrong. They weren't running out of time.

It was already gone.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Family Found and Enemies Revealed

They all sat around Kisuke's round table when they reached the back room. Yoruichi was waiting for them there and she hugged Akemi tightly when she saw her. Akemi sat between Yoruichi and Kisuke and he began the story when everyone was ready.

"My younger brother Koji stayed in Soul Society after I left and he kept an eye on Squad 12 and the Research Division for me. A little over seventeen years ago he was assigned an area in the human world to protect from Hollows. He took it and for awhile things were easy." he said and he produced his picture of Akemi and her parents. Even Uryu softened when he saw it. They looked like any normal, happy family.

"Then one night, Koji happened upon a real nasty Hollow. It had already injured one woman and was going in for the kill. So my brother swooped in and saved the day. Of course, he didn't know that he had saved a Quincy until he had an arrow pointing in his face."

Kisuke smiled at that part and then Yoruichi continued.

"Eventually the two of them came to trust each other and even began to work together. Months later they fell in love. Because of this Koji asked Head Captain Yamamoto if he could stay in the mortal realm. His request was granted and Koji and Mayumi were married." Now it was Yoruichi's turn to smile, "Kisuke, Mayumi's mother, and I were the only witnesses."

"Then a year after the wedding Mayumi became pregnant with Akemi. All of us were nervous. We didn't know what to expect because this had never happened before, a Soul Reaper mating with a Quincy. But happily Akemi was born without complications, happy and healthy." Yoruichi continued and then her smile disappeared, "But the happy times didn't last."

"All of you know already know the rest." Akemi cut in, not wanting to repeat it.

"The only ones who knew of Koji and Mayumi's family were Soul Reapers. And I don't think they were punished for their lifestyle choices." Kisuke put in gravely.

"The killers wanted Akemi too." Uryu stated as much as asked. Kisuke nodded in agreement.

"A child who could use Quincy and Soul Reaper powers could be a dangerous weapon, either independently or as part of a squad. In addition to that, I think that there was one more item the killer wanted." Kisuke motioned to Akemi's bag and Akemi pulled out a sword. Orihime recognized it as the one from Akemi's shrine. Akemi carefully handed it to her uncle and Kisuke presented it to the group.

"This is my brother's zanpakuto: the Ten no okami. It can use spiritual energy to create or destroy, even heal grievous wounds. It is incredibly special and I don't think I need to go on about how dangerous this sword can be."

"So anyone can claim Koji's zanpakuto now?" Rukia asked.

"That depends. Akemi, have you bonded with the spirit of the sword?"

"No, uncle. I didn't know how. I mean, it's protected me and we can communicate but there was no formal bonding." she replied. Kisuke looked back to Rukia.

"Then yes, Rukia, if we're not careful anyone can bond with the sword. Although I think it's already informally chosen Akemi. If we hurry, the sword can be bound to her." Kisuke answered.

Suddenly an explosion rocked the room. Amidst the flying debris, dull, gray elastic arms stretched into the room and wound their way until they found and trapped Akemi. Once she was caught, the arms quickly retracted back, pulling Akemi through the air.

"Uryu!" she cried out.

"Akemi!" he yelled and gave chase. The others were following close behind. Once outside the store, Uryu summoned his Quincy bow and quickly fired an arrow at the retreating arms. His aim was true, separating the hands holding Akemi from the rest of the arms. The hands disintegrated and Akemi fell to the ground.

Uryu and Akemi quickly tried to reach each other when they were soon separated by a solid yet transparent blue wall. The wall formed an oval and it not only held Uryu but Kisuke and the others as well. Akemi pounded on the wall but it would not break. Uryu summoned his Quincy bow and prepared to shoot the obstacle.

"Everyone, stand back!" he shouted.

"Oh little Quincy, I wouldn't do that if I were you. Not unless you want it to reflect and kill your friends." a familiar, reedy voice cackled. Further ahead they saw their attackers. Mayuri Kurutsuchi stood before them in his full captain's attire and next to him stood his lieutenant Nemu.

"Mayuri! Don't you touch her!" Kisuke warned as he pounded on the wall. The 12th Division captain only laughed.

"You're in no position to threaten me, Kisuke Urahara."

"I know that voice." Akemi whispered in surprise. Her face then contorted in rage as she realized that she was looking at her parents' killer. Akemi summoned her own Quincy bow and aimed it at Mayuri.

"It was you! You were the one who took them from me, you bastard!" she roared furiously.

"What a good memory you have, half-Quincy. But alas, we'll have no more of those pesky arrows." Mayuri replied and he snapped his fingers. Nemu, lightning-fast, shot something out at Akemi. She felt three sharp stings in her stomach, making her dissipate her bow. Akemi began to lose her balance and everything in her sight seemed to double. Stumbling, backward, Akemi fell into the wall. Uryu and Kisuke could see three small darts protruding from her midsection.

"Ah, I do so love my little toys." the Squad 12 captain gloated in satisfaction. He then turned to his lieutenant, "Go get the sword. I'll take care of the girl."

"Yes, sir." Emotionless Nemu bowed her head and sped off toward the shop. Mayuri smiled maliciously and advanced on Akemi.

"Time to collect my prize."

The group looked horrified as Mayuri approached the weakened Akemi.

"Kisuke, what can we do? He's going to kill her!" Ichigo cried anxiously as Kisuke inspected the barrier. Frustrated, Kisuke hit it then looked back at the shop.

"**We** can't do anything. There may be only one way to save Akemi." he looked at Uryu when he said this. Uryu only looked at him helplessly.

"Just save her." he said. Kisuke quickly turned to face the shop. He silently performed a kido of his own making that would allow him to send a message. When it was finished he quickly spoke.

"Ten no okami, hear me. Your true master is in danger. Save her and save yourself. Hurry!" As soon as he finished, the message radiated out as energy.

Inside the shop, Nemu had entered the living room and spotted the sword on the table. She cautiously held her hands out to it. Already it seemed to hum with energy. Before she could grab it, Kisuke's spell engulfed the weapon and knocked Nemu back into a wall.

The zanpakuto then seemed to come alive. It lifted up off the table and a golden energy seemed to emanate from it. It then began to take shape and formed a large wolf, the sword acting as the spine of the creature. It padded around on all fours, getting used to being corporeal, and then it raced outside toward the origin of the summons.

The trapped group was astonished to see the great beast storm from the shop. It raced to Akemi and knocked back Mayuri, placing itself between the wounded young woman and her attacker. Mayuri watched in amazement as the beast raised its hackles and bared its long, gleaming fangs at him. Logically, he knew that he should attack and dispel it but the researcher in him was curious to see what would happen next.

Satisfied that its master's attacker was cowed, the spirit of the sword turned back to Akemi. The young woman was feverish and her breathing shallow. It gently nuzzled her and Akemi felt warm. The fur itself seemed to shift between actual fur and flowing energy.

_Little one, you are sick. We must join. I cannot lose you as well._ a soft, female voice spoke in Akemi's mind.

_You can heal me?_ Akemi asked.

_Yes. And you will have access to your Soul Reaper abilities._ It paused for a moment and glanced quickly at the barrier. _Just know that if you do this, you will have new challenges to face. You may never see the boy again._

Tears streamed down Akemi's face, due in part from the pain of the poison and in part from the painful truth of the spirit's words.

"I understand." she choked out.

_So be it._ The spirit touched its muzzle to Akemi's forehead and then it began to dissipate and instead the energy surrounded and lifted Akemi.

"Kisuke-san, what is happening?" Orihime asked voice quiet with awe.

"The sword is binding with Akemi. It's saving her life." he answered. Uryu watched helplessly as the energy engulfed her. He only prayed that it didn't change her. He couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like if he lost her.

In a matter of moments the transformation was complete. The energy seemed to flow back into the sword and Akemi was safely set back on the ground. However, her appearance had changed during the binding. She now wore the uniform of a Soul Reaper and most shockingly, her hair had turned completely silver and the blue of her eyes was replaced with a fiery gold.

The zanpakuto was vertical in front of her and her hands were wrapped around the sheath. Akemi held the hilt against her head and closed her eyes.

"Thank you, old friend. You saved me yet again." she whispered gratefully.

"Akemi?"

She looked up and saw Uryu looking worriedly at her. She rushed to the barrier and placed her hands near his. The transformed young woman gave him a reassuring smile.

"Uryu, I'm ok. Don't worry. I'll get you out." She stood back and drew her sword.

"We're not done yet, little girl." Mayuri called out behind her. Akemi turned to face him and saw that the captain was standing again and had unsheathed his own zanpakuto. Akemi's face hardened as she studied her adversary.

_We must stop him. He must be punished for what he has done._ the spirit of the sword whispered angrily in her mind.

_Agreed_.

_My power is yours to wield, old friend._ it answered. Akemi brought the blade vertically before her.

"Burn bright as the stars, Ten no okami!" she cried determinedly. Energy flowed around the sword and it began to change into its shikai form. The hilt lengthened an inch and the gold filigree extended out into a long tassel. The blade lengthened and widened to form a scimitar. It was also limned with golden flames.

Mayuri Kurutsuchi nodded in approval. "Impressive. But two can play this game." The 12th Squad captain lifted his sword as if he was about to release his shikai form but Akemi was expecting that. She created a ribbon of energy and sent it from her zanpakuto toward her opponent. It wrapped around the blade of his sword and then with a flick of her wrist, it was wrenched from his hand and flung far into the dirt.

"I'm going to give you the same chance you gave my parents." she said coldly, "None." Akemi's spiritual pressure suddenly exploded forth and Mayuri growled in defiance though inside he was terrified of this strange young woman.

Inside the barrier, Akemi's friends could only watch in awe. Although, Kisuke's face went from a look of awe to one of dread when he realized what his niece was about to do. He began to hit the barrier repeatedly to try and catch his niece's attention.

"Akemi, no! No, you're not ready for this!" he yelled. The other Soul Reapers' eyes widened when they understood what Kisuke was talking about.

"Oh damn." Ichigo breathed. Outside the barrier Akemi continued her work. Under her sword's quick tutelage she focused her power until she reached the desired point. Once again she raised her blade in front of her and spoke calmly.

"Ten no okami. Bankai."

Soul Society

Head captain Yamamoto was discussing matters of security with his lieutenant Chojiro Sasakibe when a lower-ranking Soul Reaper entered his office.

"I apologize for the interruption, sir, but we have a situation." he said as he bowed before the captain of the first squad.

"Continue, young man." he said in his gruff voice. The younger Soul Reaper stood straight to continue his report.

"Sir, we are getting incredible spirit pressure readings from the mortal realm." he began.

"Hollows?" Lieutenant Sasakibe asked.

"No, sir. This is coming from a person. Also, we tried to consult with Captain Kurutsuchi but we cannot find him or his lieutenant anywhere." he replied.

"Keep an eye on it. Alert me as soon as the situation changes. By the way, where was the location of the disturbance?" Captain Yamamoto said.

"Yes, sir. Karakura Town, sir."

"Very well. Dismissed."

The young man bowed again then hurried from the room. Yamamoto thought for a moment then looked to his lieutenant.

"Chojiro, prepare for travel. As soon as we have an update, you and I will go to the mortal realm. I want to see this disturbance for myself and if Captain Kurutsuchi is involved."

The silver-haired lieutenant nodded solemnly to his captain.

"Yes, sir."

Translation notes:

Ten no okami = Wolf of Heaven

Akemi = Bright beauty

Mayumi = True bow

Koji = Second son

Oji = Uncle

I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. I apologize if the Japanese notations aren't quite right; I'm having issues getting the proper text with my computer.

Also, food for thought: If you had to pair Akemi with another Soul Reaper (preferably male) who would it be? Thanks!


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

New Challenges

Once again energy poured forth from Akemi's zanpakuto and engulfed her. However, this current change was much faster than the first. When it dissipated the friends could see that Akemi's sword had duplicated itself and both were suspended in midair, rotating slowly on each side of her. Mayuri Kurutsuchi was not impressed.

"That's it? That's your bankai? Floating swords? How disappointing!" he shouted. Since the twisted captain was still without his own zanpakuto, he tried shooting more of his poison darts at Akemi.

Akemi quickly brought her right arm horizontally in front of her and immediately the sword for that arm followed, rotating very fast. It created a shield of energy that destroyed the darts on contact. With her other arm, she shot it forward and the sword sprang straight for the captain. He moved just in time and the blade only cut the side of his pointed hat. Then, like it was on a string, the blade quickly flew back to Akemi and continued to rotate at her side.

"Stupid bitch!" Mayuri growled and he made a mad dash for his sword.

"No, you don't." she hissed and pushed her arms out, away from her swords. Uryu was surprised to see that her Quincy cross was still on her left wrist. To everyone's amazement, Akemi summoned her Quincy bow as her swords floated farther from her sides. She quickly took aim and let fly an arrow.

The arrow reached Mayuri as he reached for his sword and cut the arm clean off between the elbow and shoulder. Mayuri screeched in pain as the arrow burned the arm to dust. He collapsed to his knees and grabbed his stump.

"Nemu! I need you!" he cried in agony, "We need to leave!"

His lieutenant was soon there and grabbing his sword. Losing no time, she summoned a portal that would take them back to Soul Society.

Akemi went to take again take aim but she suddenly felt drained and she couldn't maintain her bow. As the portal was closing behind the duo, Akemi was forced to dispel her bankai. Her sword reverted back to its normal, singular kitana form but Akemi still felt weak and her sight was becoming hazy.

_I think we overdid it._ she thought to her sword.

_I think you are right, little one. Quickly release the others so you can rest._ the spirit replied. Akemi turned back to the barrier and each movement felt as if her limbs were made of lead.

"Everyone, stand as far back as you can." she said, her voice sounding groggy. The group pressed themselves against the back wall of the barrier and watched as Akemi made clean cuts in their prison. Finally, she had finished a large doorway for them to leave the annoying barrier. Kisuke glanced back at it and groaned.

"Now I have to clean up this mess. Typical stupid Kurutsuchi." he grumbled. Pleased with her work, Akemi sheathed her sword. Her exhaustion caught up with her though and she collapsed to the ground. Her Soul Reaper uniform dissipated, leaving her school uniform but this time, Ten no okami was still belted at her side.

Her uncle gently propped her up and picked her up from the ground, holding her in his arms.

"You know that was really stupid, right?" he asked, more concerned than angry.

"Probably." she mumbled, "Felt right though."

"Your dad would have been proud." her uncle whispered, "That was good work, kiddo."

"Thank you, Kisuke-oji." she said wearily. Kisuke held her a little tighter and kissed her forehead.

"Rest now, Akemi. You're safe." Akemi managed a small smile and gladly drifted into unconsciousness.

Now free of Kurutsuchi's barrier, Ichigo and his friends quickly moved to help clean up the shop. Orihime, Yoruichi, and Rukia went to clean up the living room while Renji and Ichigo started clearing debris from the main shop area.

After a few minutes, Ichigo stopped his work and noticed that one of his friends was missing.

"Hey Renji, you see Uryu anywhere?" he asked curiously. The red-headed Soul Reaper stood and looked around. He then nodded and pointed outside the shop.

"He's out in the lot." Renji answered then returned to his work. Ichigo stood, brushing his hands clean, and headed outside. He found Uryu standing alone in the empty lot in front of the shop. The young Quincy seemed to be just staring off into space.

"Hey, Uryu!" Ichigo called out, "Why aren't you helping with the clean-up?"

Uryu didn't move at Ichigo's words. He didn't even seem to register them, only loosened his tie and continued to stare off. Ichigo put a hand on his shoulder and tried to snap him out of his trance.

"Hey, Uryu, what's going on?" the Substitute Soul Reaper asked, trying not to be impatient. Uryu looked at Ichigo, his expression unreadable.

"She's a Soul Reaper." he said simply.

"Akemi? Yeah, so? She's a Quincy too. It was so awesome that she could use her Quincy powers while she was in bankai form." Ichigo replied, completely unfazed by Uryu's response.

"But I can't be with her. She's a Soul Reaper." Uryu reiterated irritably. That statement surprised Ichigo.

"So what? You hang out with me, Rukia, and Renji. And you're missing the point, she's still a Quincy." Ichigo countered, starting to lose patience.

"It's not the same." Uryu replied, "She's a Soul Reaper and I can't date a Soul Reaper."

Ichigo's face hardened and he remembered Uryu's outburst from earlier.

"Akemi is an amazing person and she's gone through more hell than either of us can imagine. **And** for some ungodly reason she likes you and you make her happy. I can only assume that she makes you happy too. Don't let the whole Soul Reaper/Quincy drama get in the way. It didn't for Akemi's parents." Ichigo lectured sternly.

"It doesn't matter what they did. My father will not allow it and I am tired of Soul Reaper 'drama'." Uryu replied stubbornly, using some of Ichigo's words.

Hearing that response, Ichigo snapped and he punched Uryu in the side of the face with a powerful right-cross. The stunned Quincy spun once then fell backwards and landed on the ground. He gingerly dabbed his already swelling lip and felt blood.

"What the hell was that for?" he yelled. Nearby, the commotion brought everyone out save for Kisuke and Akemi. Orihime wanted to stop the fight but Renji held her back.

"Uryu brought this on himself." he said seriously. The gentle healer wanted to protest but she merely frowned and watched the fight. Meanwhile, Ichigo shook out his hand as he stood over Uryu.

"You know, for a supposed smart guy, you're pretty dumb. And since when do you listen to your dad? You've always forged your own way as a Quincy. Besides, your sensei wanted peace between the Soul Reapers and the Quincy. He probably would have been thrilled with Akemi and ashamed of how you're acting." he continued.

Uryu's eyes narrowed at the mention of his grandfather and he glared at Ichigo as he wiped the blood from his mouth.

"Don't talk about my sensei." he warned. Ichigo sighed and ran his non-sore hand through his hair.

"All I'm saying is that you have a chance for something incredible here. Don't make excuses for why you allegedly can't do it." Ichigo thought for a moment and grabbed Uryu by the front of his shirt. He looked the Quincy straight in the eye, face deadly serious.

"And don't you dare abandon her. After today, things are bound to get crazy and she's going to need all of us but you most of all. You abandon her and I swear we're done with you." Ichigo dropped Uryu back to the ground and stalked back to the shop. Uryu ignored the looks from the others and stood. He dusted himself off as best he could and headed home. He had a lot to think about.

For the next few days, Akemi was forced to rest at Urahara's shop. Because of her accelerated use of her bankai, Akemi had drained much of her spirit energy. She desperately needed to rest and recharge and Urahara's was the safest place for her. To make her more comfortable, Kisuke even had Orihime bring some things from Akemi's apartment.

Kisuke also made sure to call the school, saying Akemi would be out due to illness, so she wouldn't get into any trouble. Kisuke had laughed when he hung up the phone.

"Look! I had to call Akemi in sick! Just like a normal human uncle!" he said excitedly. Yoruichi only shook her head, embarrassed by his giddiness. She slapped him on the back of the head to calm him. "Idiot."

During this time, Akemi spent most of her time sleeping. Nobody mentioned how dangerous Akemi's actions had truly been. They were just thankful she was on the mend. Her Quincy nature allowed her to readily draw spirit particles from the atmosphere and the healing aspect of her zanpakuto did the rest.

Every day after school one or all of Akemi's friends would come visit her at the shop. They usually brought her homework but stayed to talk. Each time, Akemi would ask about Uryu.

On one of these days, Orihime was the one to visit Akemi. Mr. Tessai had set up two chairs across from each other on the porch for them and one next to Akemi for Yoruichi. Akemi was wearing a plain white dress and a white robe with pale blue flowers on it. Kisuke had been adamant that Akemi be as comfortable as possible.

"I think he's just finding excuses to spoil his only niece. It's sweet." Orihime observed as Yoruichi weaved Akemi's hair into a loose braid. Akemi smiled warmly and wrapped her robe tighter around herself.

"So what work did you bring me today?" Akemi asked, getting down to business. Orihime leaned over her the side of her chair and grabbed a small bag.

"Not much. We're starting a section on poetry and you've also got some math homework." she replied and handed the bag to Akemi. She gratefully accepted it and placed it at her side. Her expression clouded over then and she feared asking her next question.

Orihime sensed her unease and immediately knew its source.

"Has…has Uryu said anything?" Akemi asked hesitantly. Orihime shook her head.

"No, Akemi-chan, he hasn't. I think he's still processing all this." she answered. Yoruichi snorted derisively as she finished tying off Akemi's beautiful braid.

"How much time does he need? Stupid boy." she growled angrily. Akemi sighed sadly and absently picked at her fingers.

"I know we didn't know each other very long but I felt a real connection with him. With him, I didn't feel so alone. I miss him." Akemi said softly, "I just wish he'd talk to me."

Orihime was about to comfort her upset friend when they were bombarded by intense spiritual pressure. It even caused Renji to rush outside already out of his gigai and with Zabimaru drawn.

"What's going on?" he asked urgently.

"We don't know." Orihime replied. Yoruichi stood and put a reassuring hand on Akemi's shoulder. Suddenly a large doorway appeared in the empty lot in front of the store. The doors slid open and two figures stepped out. Akemi saw that one was a very old man, who was bald and had a very long beard. He walked with the aid of a long walking stick.

The other man was younger and had close-cropped silver hair and a thin black mustache. Both men wore the robes of Soul Reapers. The doors then vanished as the two men stepped forward.

"Head Captain Yamamoto, Lieutenant Sasakibe! What brings you here?" Renji asked as he bowed respectfully.

"Lieutenant Abarai, we must speak with Kisuke Urahara. Is he in?" Lieutenant Sasakibe replied seriously.

"I'll go get him, sir." Renji replied and he soon disappeared back into the shop. An awkward silence soon settled upon them when Renji left. Yoruichi stood on guard and Orihime kept her eye on the newcomers. Captain Yamamoto smiled inwardly. They were loyal and he could respect that. His eyes then settled on Akemi and they widened in surprise when he recognized Koji Urahara's serious look and traces of his silvery hair in hers.

"Excuse me, young lady. Are you the daughter of Koji Urahara?" he asked politely. She eyed him warily and sat forward in her chair.

"I am. What do you want?" she asked, not willing to say more.

"I am not here to harm you. All will be revealed when I speak with your uncle." he replied calmly, inwardly happy that the girl was safe. Akemi relaxed slightly but still eyed him suspiciously.

Renji arrived with Kisuke moments later and he invited them all inside. Captain Yamamoto even allowed Orihime to stay. When everyone was settled in the newly-repaired living room, the head captain began to speak.

"First, let me offer my sincerest apologies for the actions of Captain Kurutsuchi. He and his lieutenant have been suspended. I have also forbidden the re-growth of his arm."

"It's not much but it's a start." Akemi brashly interrupted. Lieutenant Sasakibe was about to rebuke her but Yamamoto stopped him.

"It's alright, Chojiro. She has every right to be angry. I failed her father terribly. I did not assure him the peace he had earned." the head captain said somberly. He then looked to Kisuke.

"Kisuke Urahara, former captain of Squad 12, I am here to offer your niece a place in Soul Society. She will be able to learn about and understand her abilities. She also will have the option to return home at any time." the head captain explained. Everyone's eyes widened in surprise. Kisuke was the first that was able to speak.

"Learn or just an excuse for you to control her?" he asked warily.

"How dare you?" Sasakibe exclaimed ready to draw his zanpakuto. Once again the head captain calmed his lieutenant.

"To learn." he answered, "She will have the opportunity to train under whichever squad she chooses. When she has completed her training she may stay on with a squad or return home to the land of the living."

"No hidden conditions?" Akemi questioned, still not convinced of their sincerity.

"The head captain does not speak lies, child." Lieutenant Sasakibe added sharply. Akemi glared at him, not appearing intimidated in the least.

"Pardon me, Lieutenant, but I've been on the run most of my life because one of your **Captains** killed my parents and tried to make me one of his lab rats. So excuse my slight hesitance to accept any offer you give me." she answered coolly. The lieutenant flushed crimson in shock and embarrassment and Kisuke was forced to stifle a smile.

"Young lady, the offer I give you is genuine. Now I will admit that I am curious to see how your Quincy powers interact with your Soul Reaper abilities, especially after the other day's events. However, that does not influence my decision. It is your birthright and it is only a small way that I can repay your father."

Akemi thought for a moment then looked to Yoruichi and Kisuke.

"Oji-san? Oba-san?" she asked uncertainly and she did seem like a lost child at that moment.

"Akemi-chan, it's your decision." Yoruichi answered gently, "We can train you here but it is a great honor to be able to train in Soul Society."

"Yoruichi is right. But we won't force you to make a decision either way." Kisuke added. Akemi nodded then looked back to Head Captain Yamamoto.

"Sir, may I take some time to think on this? I assure you that I will have an answer before the night is over."

"Very well, young lady. We shall wait her until you have made your decision."

Akemi stood and bowed respectfully then motioned for Orihime to follow her. They talked for hours and Renji even visited to talk with them about it. Finally, by the end of the night, as promised, the head captain received his answer.

The next day at school, Orihime and Renji couldn't wait to tell their friends about the previous night. By lunchtime they were practically bouncing with excitement.

"What is with you two?" Ichigo asked, "Renji, have you been drinking coffee again?"

"Head Captain Yamamoto and Lieutenant Sasakibe came to Kisuke's shop last night!" Renji exclaimed, ignoring Ichigo's second question. Everyone stopped eating and looked at Renji, including Uryu.

"He's right!" Orihime added excitedly, "He wanted to talk to Akemi and he did something amazing!"

"What?" Rukia asked.

"He offered her a chance to train in Soul Society!" Orihime revealed, "And when she's completed her training, she can either join a squad of her choice or stay in the realm of the living."

Everyone cheered for Akemi's good fortune, except for Uryu. He had dropped his drink and was staring blankly in shock. Orihime noticed and slowly approached her friend.

"Are you ok, Uryu?" she asked softly.

"Orihime, does Akemi have to give up her Quincy powers to do this?" he replied shakily.

"No, of course not! The head captain didn't make any such request. It's who she is and he can't take that from her."

Uryu breathed a small sigh of relief but he still felt troubled.

"Orihime, when is she leaving?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh! I almost forgot! She's leaving late tomorrow morning. Urahara-san invited us all to a going-away brunch in Akemi's honor." Orihime replied cheerfully. She then turned back to Uryu and whispered, "So if you've got something to tell her you better be there tomorrow and say it."

She winked and went back to her lunch. Uryu leaned back against the wall he was sitting by and blew out a long breath. Orihime was right. If he didn't talk to Akemi tomorrow he may never get the chance again.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Saying Good-bye

The morning came just like any other, but Akemi knew that this one marked something special. Today Akemi was going to the Soul Society and rather than being put into the Soul Reaper Academy, she would receive special training with the squads of her choosing.

Akemi couldn't believe her luck. One minute she was on the run, fearing for her life, and the next she was being welcomed with open arms into the Soul Society. Her stomach was doing flip-flops at the thought of training under real squad captains. Akemi gripped her locket tightly and closed her eyes.

"Oka-san, Oto-san, give me strength. Give me peace of mind to get through this next trial." she whispered. Akemi took a deep, calming breath then went to get things in order before she went back to her uncle's shop for her departure.

-)*(-

Soul Society

"Ah, what the hell are we doing up so early? And what the hell is this meeting about again?" 11th Squad Captain Kenpachi Zaraki grumbled as he walked and fastened his last bell on his spiked hair.

"I dunno, Kenny. Something about a special new recruit. All the captains and lieutenants need to be there." his tiny lieutenant Yachiru Kusajishi said excitedly. Never before had there been a captain and lieutenant who looked more different. Kenpachi was a giant of a man, lean and muscular, with odd spiked hair. His body and face were riddled with scars from past battles, giving him an even more menacing appearance.

In contrast, Yachiru looked like a happy child with her bright eyes and smile and bubble-gum pink hair. Her zanpakuto even dangled from a string at her side like a child's stuffed animal.

Despite their incredible differences, these two got along incredibly well. The two were confidants and Kenpachi even allowed little Yachiru to ride on his back while he ran. Yachiru was also one of the rare few who could speak her mind to Kenpachi and even talk back to the captain without running the risk of being sliced in half. They were an odd pair but for them it worked.

"Gah! This is going to be a waste of time!" Kenpachi grumbled as they reached the conference room. He would rather run exercises with his squad than go to this meeting. Yachiru, meanwhile, smirked as she thought of how to brighten her captain's mood.

"Aww, c'mon, Kenny! Cheer up! I heard the newbie is from Karakura Town." she said brightly.

"Yeah, so?"

"Ichi is from Karakura Town. Maybe she'll be as powerful as Ichi! Wouldn't that be fun?" 'Ichi' was the nickname Yachiru had given Ichigo Kurosaki, who was one of the few who had given Kenpachi one of the best fights of his life. In fact, the fight had almost killed the battle-hardened captain. The thought of another such battle brought a wide smile to his scarred face. He looked down at Yachiru, still smiling.

"Yachiru, you know just what to say to make me feel better." he replied happily. With his mood improved, captain and lieutenant entered the room.

-)*(-

Akemi knocked on the apartment door and waited for Orihime to answer. She had a couple things to drop off at Orihime's and then they were walking together to Kisuke's shop.

As she waited, Akemi thought about how much Orihime had helped her. From her kindness on Akemi's first day at school to helping Akemi make her decision on going to the Soul Society, Orihime had been a good, supportive friend.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Orihime suddenly called from inside the apartment. Akemi could hear footsteps quickly approaching the door. The door quickly swung open, revealing a disheveled Orihime. Her clothes were splattered with flour and her hair was mussed. Akemi tried not to laugh at her friend's appearance.

"What did you do, Orihime?" she asked her unkempt friend.

"Akemi-chan! I'm sorry, I'm running late. I was trying to finish my dish for your party." Orihime explained and quickly dragged Akemi inside. Orihime's apartment smelled like sugar and bread and Akemi caught a glimpse of the mess that was in the kitchen.

"Orihime, you didn't have to go through so much trouble for me." Akemi said sincerely. Orihime looked aghast and shook her head.

"Akemi-chan, don't say that! This is your big day! We're supposed to spoil you." Orihime started, gathering her things as she spoke, "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't help with your party?"

"Trust me; your support is all I need. This party is too much. You all are doing too much." Akemi whispered, eyes tearing, probably not for the first time today, from her friend's kindness. Orihime smiled as she gave Akemi a hug.

"We need this too. We don't know when we'll see you again. This party will be our last big gathering for awhile." Orihime said, slightly surprising Akemi with her insight. Akemi dried her eyes and put on a brave face for Orihime.

She then helped Orihime finish her platter of goodies (sticky buns with raisins and chocolate) and tidied up a bit before they left.

"Orihime, before we go I have a couple things I'd like to give you." Akemi said as they prepared to leave. Orihime looked at her friend curiously as she pulled out two envelopes, one small and one long.

"The short envelope has my apartment key. You don't have to worry about my rent. I would just appreciate it if you checked on the place occasionally."

"I would love to! Thank you for trusting me, Akemi-chan!"

"This second envelope is for Uryu." Akemi swallowed and her face grew sad. "If Uryu doesn't come today, could you give this to him?" Orihime took the letter, nodding solemnly.

"And if Uryu does come today?"

"You can still give it to him."

Once the serious business was attended to, the friends gathered their things and headed to the shop. When they arrived, it at first seemed like the shop was empty. They looked everywhere but there was no trace of Kisuke, Yoruichi, or anyone else.

"Orihime, where could they be?" a befuddled Akemi asked. Orihime pondered it for awhile then brightened suddenly, startling Akemi.

"There's a downstairs training area! I bet they're there!" she exclaimed. The two friends searched until they found the trapdoor entrance located in a hidden alcove of the shop storage room. Akemi was amazed as they descended down the ladder into the training area. She never thought such a place could exist underground. As she was heading down the ladder, Akemi could hear voices from below.

"Akemi! Orihime! Let's go! We're starving!" Renji called impatiently. That was quickly followed by a loud smack.

"Ow! Dammit, Ichigo! What was that for?"

"Don't be rude, Renji!" was all the Substitute Soul Reaper said. Once they reached the bottom, Akemi quickly scanned the group and to her dismay, Uryu was absent. Orihime, noticing her friend's frown, quickly went to her side.

"Maybe he's running late. Don't worry, there's still time." Akemi took strength from those words and replaced her frown with a small smile.

Her friends immediately set to work piling plates with mounds of good food and distracting her with questions about her trip to the Soul Society. Rukia and Renji were already giving Akemi pointers on what squads to visit, various protocols and codes of conduct, and the most scenic areas to go to for relaxing. Kisuke and Yoruichi also piped in with their own tidbits.

"If you have any trouble just go see the captain of Squad 2. Her name is Soi-Feng. She used to be my subordinate, she'll look after you." Yoruichi explained as she ate. Akemi, eager for as much information as possible, nodded in earnest and even scribbled notes in a small notebook.

"Oh, and watch out for Kenpachi Zaraki of Squad 11!" Ichigo interjected, "He's not a bad guy but if he thinks you're worth it, he'll want to fight you. He can be brutal."

"Good to know." Akemi replied gratefully. And so it continued like this, the friends ate, talked and joked, with Akemi treasuring it all.

Outside the store, Uryu stood as if transfixed. He knew his friends were in there with Akemi. He knew also that soon she would be leaving and yet, he could not move. Deep inside Uryu knew that he was afraid. He feared that because of his arrogance and pride, Akemi would reject him and their growing love would be destroyed.

"Ishida-kun, are you alright?"

Uryu broke his gaze from the ground and looked to see Mr. Tessai sweeping the front porch.

"You better get inside, Ishida-kun. Akemi-chan will be leaving any minute."

"I don't think she wants to see me, Tessai-san." Uryu said miserably. Mr. Tessai stopped his sweeping and smiled at Uryu.

"You will never know unless you go in there."

Uryu smiled apologetically and slowly moved toward the door.

Once everyone had finished eating, Yoruichi and Kisuke left to get Akemi's things, leaving Akemi more time with her friends. They talked and joked some more, making Akemi happier than she had been in a long time. She thought more than once that she was lucky to have come to this town. Akemi looked around quickly, once again becoming disappointed.

_If only Uryu were here. Then this would be perfect._

Suddenly everyone quieted and Ichigo stood with his hands behind his back. He cleared his throat then smiled warmly at Akemi.

"Ok Akemi, since you're going, Orihime and Rukia came up with an idea for a gift. We all chipped in for this."

"Oh Ichigo! Everyone, you shouldn't have!" Akemi interjected, somewhat unsettled with the idea of receiving a gift.

"Akemi, relax." Ichigo replied, "It's just a little something for you to look at if you get lonely or stressed out." He moved his left arm, revealing the square package that had been behind him. It was approximately a couple inches thick and was no bigger than a school binder. The gift was wrapped in light blue paper and it had a white envelope attached to it.

"Don't open it until you're in the Soul Society. It will be a nice surprise." Rukia added. Akemi clutched the gift to her chest as happy tears welled in her eyes.

"Thank you so much! I am so blessed to have found friends such as you." she said appreciatively. She was so happy she thought her heart would burst. Each one of her friends came forward and gave Akemi a hug. Last was Ichigo, who by now was almost like a brother to her. He hugged her and grinned.

"You kick ass over there." he said confidently, "Don't let them get the better of you. You show them what a Quincy-Soul Reaper can do."

"Yes, sir." she joked then added seriously, "Thank you, Ichigo." He nodded and gave her another hug. A small cough behind Akemi alerted her to her uncle's return. He and Yoruichi had her bag and zanpakuto ready.

"It's time, Akemi." Kisuke said softly. As if on cue, they all could sense a rise in spiritual pressure. Soon they knew a gate would appear to take Akemi to the Soul Society.

"There's one more thing left before you go." Yoruichi said smiling. To Akemi's surprise, out from behind her uncle stepped Uryu. Akemi's breath caught in her throat and for a moment, Uryu thought that she would tell him to leave.

She did quite the opposite.

Tears of joy spilled down Akemi's cheeks and she ran to him, laughing. Uryu caught and held her tightly, Akemi doing the same, and he breathed deeply, taking in the smell of her perfume.

"Uryu! You're here!" she whispered happily, "I missed you so much!" The usually stoic Uryu thought he would cry at that moment. He never thought that he would hear those words from her.

"Akemi, I'm so sorry! Forgive me my stupidity. I was a fool." he replied, "I couldn't let you go without saying that. I was a fool, an arrogant fool."

She moved back so she could look at him, giving him that gentle smile that he loved.

"Please can we try again?" Uryu whispered. Akemi nodded and Uryu immediately kissed her. Nothing more need to be said between them. All that they felt was in that one perfect kiss. Everyone else smiled, quietly glad that these two were finally back together.

Akemi then pulled away from him, hands going to her neck. She unclasped her locket with its rings and handed it to Uryu, to his complete surprise.

"Uryu, I want you to have this."

"Akemi, no! This is your family!" Uryu protested, "It's too valuable." Akemi gave him that same smile and lightly shook her head.

"My family is with me always, necklace or no. Take this as my promise that I will return." She cupped his hands around the locket and kissed him on the cheek.

"I will return." she repeated her promise then kissed him again. Kisuke gently tapped Akemi's shoulder, getting her attention.

"Akemi, it's time to go."

Akemi looked behind her and saw the open gate and Lieutenant Sasakibe waiting patiently for her. Tears again welled in her eyes and she hugged Uryu one last time.

"I have to go."

"I know." Uryu choked out. Akemi kissed him then went to Yoruichi and took her bag and her zanpakuto. She held it in front of her and concentrated. Soon the gold energy flowed forth, turning Akemi into a Soul Reaper. Uryu was awestruck as he watched the gold flow into her eyes, washing away the blue, the silver spreading over and replacing the gold in her hair. Even Lieutenant Sasakibe was intrigued by this transformation.

Once it was completed, she hugged her uncle and Yoruichi then walked toward the gate. She faced the lieutenant and bowed.

"I apologize for the wait, sir. I am ready now." she said solemnly. The lieutenant granted her a small smile, holding his left arm out toward the gate.

"Not a problem, Urahara-san. Please come with me. Your training awaits."

Akemi stood straight and walked to the gate, to the next stage of her life. Akemi quickly looked back, addressing everyone but only really having eyes for Uryu. She smiled and waved.

"Good-bye."

And then she was gone.

-)*(-

**I hope everyone is enjoying the story. Believe me, it's not over yet. I've decided to put Akemi's time in Soul Society in a separate side story. This current story will focus on her and her friend's time in the mortal realm. I hope to start posting the side story soon.**


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The End of Summer

The moon was full, bathing the room in silver light as a cool breeze blew in from the open window. It was refreshing after the great heat of the day. Uryu sat back in his chair, relaxing in the cool stillness of the night. He then heard a noise off to the side and looked to see Akemi standing casually in the doorway.

"Is everything ok?" he asked, growing concerned. Akemi smiled and stepped forward into the light.

"Yes, Uryu, everything is fine. I was just enjoying watching you relax." she replied happily. Uryu smiled back, looking lovingly at this incredible woman. At that moment, Uryu was completely entranced by her beauty. She wore only a white silk robe that barely reached her knees and her long hair hung loose, looking like molten silver in the moonlight. Even her blue eyes seemed to sparkle.

"How did I get so lucky?" he asked awestruck. Akemi smiled coyly as she straddled his legs and sat in his lap, facing him.

"We're both lucky." she whispered, resting her arms on his shoulders. Uryu smiled and leaned in for a kiss. Her lips were so soft against his and it seemed to ignite a fire within him. He immediately kissed her harder, each kiss coming faster as if each one wasn't enough. The two embraced each other tightly, not wanting to let go. Uryu felt like all was right with the world as long as he could stay with Akemi.

_Uryu!_

He heard the nagging voice but ignored it, focusing instead on Akemi.

_Uryu! _The voice came louder this time. It almost sounded like Ichigo.

_URYU!_

-)*(-

"URYU! Wake up, dammit!" Ichigo yelled as he swatted the Quincy with a pillow for good measure. Uryu jolted awake in his seat, the book he had been reading fell loudly to the floor. The startled young man looked around groggily then focused on the only other person in the room. It was Ichigo, not Akemi. It had all been a dream.

Uryu refused to let his disappointment show in front of Ichigo. Instead he looked balefully at the Substitute Soul Reaper.

"What do you want? I was sleeping." he asked curtly. He noticed that Ichigo was wearing his red swim trunks. Ichigo scowled and ran a hand through his spiky, orange hair.

"We're going to the beach. Orihime's worried about you and wants you to come with. So get dressed and get your ass out there!" he replied sharply and tossed Uryu's trunks at him. Uryu quickly caught them and was about to respond but Ichigo was already gone. Uryu sighed and reluctantly went to change.

It had been seven months since Akemi had left for the Soul Society and there was still no word on when she would be returning. She had missed the rest of the school year and now they were on summer vacation.

Orihime and Tatsuki had arranged a trip to the beach as a last hurrah before the start of the new school year but even that wasn't going well, for Uryu at least. Ichigo and Orihime's relationship had grown over the summer and they spent as much time as they could snuggling and kissing around the house and on the beach. The gentle healer had a calming effect on the tempestuous soul reaper.

Even Tatsuki and Chad's relationship was blooming. Although they were a bit more discrete about it. Still, it seemed that even here opposites attracted. Poor Uryu felt like the fifth wheel. He didn't even have Rukia or Renji to talk with. The both of them had returned to the Soul Society. So for most of the trip, Uryu had holed up in the library of the house they were renting and mostly read and slept. He was only going outside now because he didn't want to worry Orihime.

After he carefully placed Akemi's locket in his sock drawer, Uryu went outside, clad in his blue and white trunks, looking for his friends.

"Uryu! Over here!" Orihime called out happily. His friends were further down the beach and Uryu could see that they had dragged some lounge chairs that way as well. To Uryu's relief, all of his friends were sitting in their own chairs.

"Holy crap, Uryu! You're as white as a ghost!" Ichigo exclaimed, jolting Uryu from his thoughts. "You need to get out more!" Uryu looked at each of his friends and saw that he indeed was quite pale compared to his friends' healthy tans. He frowned at Ichigo as he sat straight in his chair.

"I'm just not an outdoors person." Uryu replied, pushing up his glasses defensively.

"Then why did you come? That was the whole point of the trip." Ichigo snapped irritably. Orihime was about to step in to calm her boyfriend but to everyone's surprise, it was Tatsuki who spoke up.

"Leave him alone, Ichigo, you blockhead!" she shouted angrily, "He came here so he could get out of town. He needed some space away from his girlfriend's memory." Ichigo winced, realizing his error, and sat back in his chair, properly chastened. He looked back at Uryu, face apologetic.

"Sorry, Uryu. I was being stupid." Uryu's face softened from its glare and once again he pushed up his glasses.

"It's ok. I haven't been taking advantage of this vacation. I'm sorry for worrying all of you." he apologized. Orihime smiled and clapped her hands together.

"Cheer up, Uryu! Akemi-chan will be home before you know it! You just relax and enjoy the rest of your vacation!" she said, staying optimistic. Uryu smiled and leaned back in his chair.

Orihime was right. They only had a couple more days here before they had to return to Karakura Town. Uryu didn't want to waste anymore time. Also, he didn't want to tell Akemi that all he did while she was gone was be sad and mope about. She would be disappointed.

For the rest of the day, Uryu hung out with his friends. They swam in the ocean, made sand castles, at Orihime's insistence, and later had a barbecue. By the end of the day, Uryu was exhausted but happy. After he washed all the sand and salt off of himself, he changed for bed and carefully took Akemi's locket out of his drawer.

Uryu laid down in bed and placed a hand over where the locket rested against his chest.

"Come home soon." he whispered and in minutes, the tired Quincy was fast asleep.

-)*(-

Karakura Town- Urahara Shop

Night had fallen but unlike near the ocean, the air was still hot and humid. Kisuke, Yoruichi, Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu sat outside drinking cold tea and trying to cool off since the store was too hot to be in.

"You know, boss, we wouldn't be in this mess if you would have remembered to check the A/C." Jinta grumbled. Tessai smacked the impertinent boy up the back of his head, knocking him forward and spilling his drink off the side of the porch.

"Jinta, you know Urahara-san is always caught up in some kind of project. If it was so important, you should have reminded him." the large man admonished the whining boy. Jinta pouted and grabbed his glass off the ground.

"Yeah. C'mon, Ururu, let's get some more tea." the young boy said sullenly to his female counterpart. The girl quickly stood and quietly followed Jinta back into the shop.

"Kids." Tessai groaned. "Sorry about that, Kisuke."

"Eh, it's ok, Tessai. We'll get it fixed tomorrow." Kisuke replied in his relaxed manner. He leaned back, supported by his arms on the deck, and gazed at the sky.

"It's a nice night to be out anyway." he added. All was quiet for a bit longer until there was a sudden rise in spiritual pressure. The three adults stood, preparing for an attack. However, no attack came. The source of the change was the creation of a gateway. The three of them stood ready as the doors swung open. A lone figure stepped through but they couldn't see who it was because of the light from the gate.

Once the gate closed, they all relaxed visibly. Kisuke grinned, putting one hand on his hip and the other raising his fan.

"Well, I'll be damned. Welcome back."

Akemi smiled and waved at her family.

"It's good to be home."


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The Return Home

Uryu carefully folded his clothes and quickly packed them into his suitcase. Today was the day that they were heading back to Karakura Town. Tomorrow they started back at school. Everyone seemed to be delaying their packing until the last possible minute except for Uryu. He was ready to go home, and not for any need to see his father. No, Uryu was hurrying because he was hoping Akemi had returned.

Two nights ago he had been woken from sleep by a feeling. It had been a subtle change in spiritual pressure and it had been far from Uryu's location. Uryu had been about to shrug it off and go back to sleep but then he had felt it. There had been a second surge of spirit pressure and it had been familiar. Because of the distance Uryu couldn't be sure but he believed it was Akemi.

Since then Uryu had been eager to leave, to his friends' annoyance. Now he was packed and ready to go and his friends were still gathering their belongings.

"Hey you guys, you should hurry a bit." Uryu said, "We do have a train to catch."

"Relax, Uryu. We'll catch the damn train." Ichigo replied irritably. His father was picking him and Orihime up at the station and he wasn't looking forward to it. Having Uryu rush him wasn't helping Ichigo's mood. Uryu rolled his eyes in annoyance, meanwhile pulling out a book as he waited.

An hour and a half later, the group was on their way to the train station. Uryu stayed focused on the book he was reading; otherwise he thought he'd go crazy from the waiting. Once they reached the station, Tatsuki collected money from everyone and went to buy the tickets. Ichigo eyed Uryu curiously as they waited.

"Uryu, why the hell are you so eager to go home?" he asked. Uryu closed his book and pushed up his glasses as he looked at Ichigo.

"I am eager to get home because I believe that Akemi has returned." he answered simply. Everyone looked at him in surprise.

"How do you know that?" Orihime asked.

"The other night I felt a surge in spiritual pressure. It was coming from Karakura Town. It was faint but I believe that it was Akemi." he explained evenly, trying to ignore his friends' looks of doubt. They seemed hopeful too but cautiously so. Ichigo was the first to voice concerns.

"Well let's not get our hopes too high. It may have been a dream or something." he said seriously. Uryu glared at Ichigo.

"Why would you say that?" he shot back, "Do you not want her to come home?"

"Don't be stupid, Uryu! Of course I want her to come home. She's my friend too! I just don't want to be disappointed if you're wrong." With that said, Ichigo quieted and turned away from Uryu. By then Tatsuki had returned with their tickets. They each took one and silently boarded the train. Uryu took a seat by a window and rested his head against it. He hoped Ichigo was wrong, hoped that it had been Akemi's spiritual pressure and that she would be there waiting for him. Soon the train was moving and Uryu shut his eyes, trying to get some sleep.

-)*(-

Karakura Town- Urahara Shop

Akemi sat on the shop's front porch, eyeing the board in front of her. She studied it intently looking for the best move. Sitting opposite her was Mr. Tessai, patiently waiting for her to take her turn. Akemi was teaching him to play chess and to her dismay, he was an apt pupil.

She finally moved a pawn forward to protect her bishop from Tessai's queen. It was a temporary measure but it would have to do. She sat back and relaxed as Tessai took his time analyzing the board.

"Tessai-san, when are they getting back?" she asked for the second time that day.

"I believe Kisuke said they will be back within the hour." he replied, not looking up from the board. Akemi groaned and looked up at the sky. It was sunny with only wisps of clouds floating by. It should have been relaxing but Akemi was restless. She wanted to see her friends, to see Uryu. Tessai noticed her unease and chuckled.

"Relax, Akemi-chan. They will be home soon." he said gently. Akemi frowned and returned her gaze back to the chessboard. As she was about to make her next move, she felt sudden abnormal spiritual pressures.

"Hollows." she whispered. Akemi quickly stood and focused on those signatures.

"Tessai-san, I have to go. I've picked up multiple hollows and—oh no!" she gasped.

"What is it?" he asked. Akemi looked at Tessai panic-stricken.

"They're heading for the station! All those people! Ichigo and the others may not be able to defend themselves!" she exclaimed.

"Go." Tessai answered seriously, "I'll tell Kisuke where you went."

Akemi nodded, immediately undergoing her transformation into a Soul Reaper. Once she was ready she used flash step, vanishing from sight. She only hoped that she would get there before anyone was hurt.

-)*(-

Karakura Town- Train Station

Uryu was abruptly woken from his nap by a sharp jostling of the train car. It rocked side-to-side on the tracks, causing people to scream and shout. Uryu looked around, suddenly alert, and saw that his friends were fine but looks of concern were etched on their faces. Uryu quickly moved back to sit opposite Ichigo and Orihime. Just as he did, a noise came over the loud speaker and then the conductor's voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please stay in your seats. We are in Karakura Town Station but are experiencing some difficulties. Please stay in your seats until the crisis is averted. Thank you."

"Ichigo, what's going on?" Uryu asked when the announcement was over.

"Hollows. They broke the tracks up ahead so we're not quite at the landing platform. If you look out that window you can see them." Ichigo replied, point out across the aisle to Tatsuki and Chad's window. Uryu could see clouds of dust and hear the roars of the Hollows. Uryu grimaced and looked back to Ichigo.

"Can we get out there?" he asked.

"I don't know. My badge is in the overhead compartment so I can't get to it. They're also making sure people stay seated so I don't think we'll be able to get out." Ichigo said grimly.

"And we don't want to start a panic when your body collapses after you change." Orihime added. Ichigo nodded then hit the arm of his chair in frustration.

"Damn! These people are in trouble and we're stuck here!" he hissed angrily. Uryu frowned and looked back out the window. Soon the pack of Hollows would head towards them and they were stuck because they couldn't reveal their powers. It was maddening.

Uryu was in the middle of trying to formulate a plan when he saw three gold arrows flying out towards the Hollows. They hit right on target and three of the beasts were gone.

"Ichigo, look!" he cried urgently. Ichigo and the others followed Uryu's gaze and saw a black blur attacking the Hollows. In a matter of moments, the creatures were gone, leaving the group stunned. A knock on top of their car caught their attention, followed by what seemed like footsteps. The other people in their car seemed confused and afraid, while Ichigo and the others were only curious. The emergency escape hatch in the roof then popped open and the figure in black dropped in. Of course, the figure was only visible to Ichigo and the others. Everyone else remained confused. The figure stood straight, revealing it to be Akemi. She smiled and waved at her friends then held her finger to her lips, telling them to be quiet. She hurried to them, kneeling between the aisles.

"Is everyone ok? Are you injured?" she asked.

"We're fine. All the Hollows gone?" Ichigo asked, trying to look like he was talking to Uryu instead of the empty aisle.

"Yeah. I was surprised that there were so many." she answered.

"Akemi, when did you get back?" Uryu asked excitedly. Akemi smiled at him and held his hand.

"Questions later. I just came to see that everyone was all right. Meet me at the shop when you're done here." she answered. She gave Uryu's hand a gentle squeeze then hurried back up out the emergency exit. Her friends watched her go then Uryu turned back to Ichigo, smiling smugly.

"What's that look for?" Ichigo asked.

"I told you Akemi was back." Uryu replied.

"Oh shut up."

-)*(-

It had taken nearly an hour before everyone had been allowed to leave the station. Chad headed out with Tatsuki, saying they'd catch up with them at school tomorrow. Ichigo left his and Orihime's bags with his dad, quickly explaining that a friend was back in town and they had to go see her. The three friends then quickly hurried to Urahara's shop.

When they arrived, the front of the shop seemed dark, like they had closed early. Ichigo checked the door and found that it was open. The trio slowly entered the empty shop, hearing muffled voices as they stepped in. They walked towards the back living area and saw Kisuke sitting with Yoruichi, Tessai, and the kids. Kisuke looked up at them, smiling widely and fanning himself with his trademark fan.

"Ichigo, Uryu, and Orihime! Welcome! Have a seat! My lovely niece is preparing tea and some snacks and will be in shortly." he said jovially, waving his fan toward three cushions at the table. As they were sitting, Akemi came in bearing a large tray laden with the teapot and glasses and a variety of treats. She greeted everyone as she placed it on the table with ease. Everyone was soon chatting and asking Akemi questions as if no time had gone by. But Uryu found that he couldn't speak. Having Akemi here out of her Soul Reaper form made the situation more real. It had been seven months of no word and now she was suddenly returned to them. It was hard for Uryu to wrap his mind around.

Kisuke noticed the tense look on Uryu's face, realizing what he had to do.

"You know what? It's such a nice evening, we should eat outside. Let's go!" he announced. He grabbed the tray and Yoruichi, catching on to Kisuke's plan, led the others out. Akemi and Uryu were ready to follow when Yoruichi turned back on them.

"You two hang out for a bit. Join us when you're ready." she said then winked and shut the door swiftly. The two stunned teens stared at the door then looked at each other. A tense silence filled the room. All they could do was stare at each other. Uryu pushed up his glasses and coughed nervously, breaking the silence.

"You…you look good, Akemi." he stuttered lamely. Actually he was understating it a bit. She looked fantastic. She was dressed in a knee-length, light blue skirt and an off the shoulder, sleeveless white linen shirt. It accentuated her curves and leaner figure. Her silver-gold hair hung loose and strands framed her face. She looked stunning but Uryu couldn't seem to get the words out. Akemi blushed, looking down and averting his gaze.

"You look good too, Uryu. You got tan." she said shyly. Uryu smiled then realized how ridiculous they were being, both tip-toeing around, trying to see if the other one was still interested in the other. He stepped closer to Akemi, suddenly taking off her locket that was around his neck.

"Akemi, I have something to return to you." She looked up, shock evident on her face as Uryu placed the locket in her hands.

"You wore it all this time?" she asked incredulously, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Uryu smiled gently and caressed her cheek, catching a tear.

"Of course I did. It was part of your promise. It made missing you a little more bearable." he replied. Akemi closed her hand over the locket and hugged Uryu tightly.

"I'm so sorry I was gone for so long. I missed you so much!" she whispered. He returned the hug, resting his head in the crook of her neck.

"I'm just glad you're home." he whispered. They stayed like that a little longer, enjoying the moment alone. Then, still holding her, Uryu stood straighter, now able to look Akemi in the eye.

"I think we should go outside. The others might be wondering what happened to us." he suggested. Akemi smirked, brushing away strands of Uryu's hair away from his face.

"Yeah, you're right. My uncle alone could be cooking up some ridiculous scenarios." she replied. Uryu laughed at that, his first real laugh in some time. He gripped Akemi's left hand, the one that bore her Quincy cross and kissed it. The look she gave Uryu warmed him to the core.

"C'mon. Let's go." he said happily. Akemi nodded, smiling, and they walked out, hand in hand, to join their friends.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Going Back to School

For the beginning of the school year, it was still incredibly hot outside. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, leaving the sun free to beat down on the residents of Karakura Town. At the high school, the boys complained about not being able to wear shorts and other apparent injustices to the student body. Uryu Ishida rolled his eyes at the whiners and ignored them. He couldn't be bothered with such petty problems, because he had more important things on his mind. Akemi was coming back to school today and no irritants like insane heat and humidity could ruin his good mood.

Uryu had managed to snag on of the last shaded spots at the front of the building. Compared to his friends, he lived relatively close to school and it had been easy to get there early and stakeout a spot. Even though they had seen each other the previous night, Uryu and Akemi had wanted time to see each other before classes began.

The young Quincy passed the time by reading one of his school books. Occasionally he would look up to see if Akemi had arrived yet. This continued for about a half hour and then finally Uryu heard familiar voices.

"Ichigo, stop teasing Akemi-chan!" Orihime's voice pleaded. Uryu looked up from his book to see Ichigo and Orihime walking with Akemi. Orihime had a concerned look on her face as she looked back and forth between the other two. Ichigo and Akemi were both looking at each other with annoyance.

"But Orihime, why did we have to come here early? We see Uryu enough as it is." Ichigo grumbled.

"We're here early because it is the first day of school. Besides, it is also Akemi-chan's first back. Don't you want to spend time with her as well?" Ichigo looked at his girlfriend and he couldn't help but lose his scowl when he looked upon her hopeful face.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." he replied more calmly. Akemi rolled her eyes at him and playfully shoved Ichigo.

"See? It wasn't so terrible!" she chided him.

Orihime's head hung in defeat as Akemi and Ichigo's bickering began anew. Uryu smirked at the scene. It was like the two were truly siblings. Luckily that wasn't the case. Finally, Orihime caught sight of Uryu and quickly alerted her friends to his location. Akemi immediately brightened, forgetting her quarrel with Ichigo, and ran to where her boyfriend was sitting.

"Good morning, Uryu!" she called happily.

"Good morning, Akemi!" he answered.

Uryu could feel his heart hammering in his chest as she approached. Even in her school uniform, Akemi was stunning. When she reached him under the tree, Akemi sat beside him and kissed his cheek. Uryu, not used to public displays of affection, began to blush fiercely. Akemi pretended not to notice and moved away slightly to tie back her silver-gold hair. She didn't want to embarrass him further. Ichigo and Orihime caught up soon after and sat in the welcoming shade.

The friends relaxed and talked for some time. They mainly talked about Akemi's time in the Soul Society and what she had missed while away. Uryu tried to pay attention to the conversation but he was distracted by how close Akemi was to him, sitting so close their bodies were pressed together and he could smell her perfume. He could barely focus on what his friends were talking about.

Finally, the first bell rang and the friends stood to head inside for class. Akemi entwined her fingers with Uryu's as they walked, absently rubbing her thumb lightly over his knuckles. That simple act seemed to send sparks of electricity up Uryu's arm. It was the final straw for the overwhelmed young man. Without his friends noticing, he quickly pulled Akemi down a darkened hallway. He pressed his stunned girlfriend against a wall and kissed her fiercely. At first Akemi was surprised by his boldness but soon relaxed, kissing Uryu with the same intensity, wrapping her arms around him.

Suddenly, remembering where he was, Uryu stopped, pulling away and placing his hands against the wall on either side of Akemi. He looked at her helplessly, breathing heavily.

"Akemi, do you realize what you do to me?" he whispered, voice ragged. Akemi looked at him in concern and gently cradled his face in her hands.

"Uryu, what's wrong?" she asked softly.

"Nothing's wrong exactly. It's just that I've never felt this way about anyone. And you've come back and it's like I have no control. I don't know how to handle it." he admitted. Akemi gave him that gentle smile that seemed only for him, and pressed her forehead to his.

"To be honest, I feel the same way. It's new and a little overwhelming but I've never been happier." she admitted in turn. Hearing those words, Uryu thought that his heart would burst from joy. He kissed Akemi again, softly this time, and hugged her tightly. She returned the hug, happy that she had decided to return home.

By the time the two made it to class, the warning bell had rung. As they took their seats, both of them could feel their friends' stares, particularly Ichigo. Uryu realized that Ichigo really did view Akemi like another sister. He snuck Akemi another smile as they got out their notebooks, preparing for class. The final bell rang and the teacher began class.

"Hello, everyone. Welcome back from vacation. I hope you had fun but didn't forget about your studies. I would also like to welcome back Akemi Urahara. I am personally relieved that you had recovered from your illness and am impressed that you finished all of your assignments." the teacher said and held up a large folder filled with papers. All of Akemi's classmates looked on in shock. Akemi ignored them and instead focused her attention on their teacher.

"Okay everyone, as you know, today is a special first day back. You all received notices that you were to schedule your parents or family members to come in and discuss their careers." she continued, "Today we have family of Ichigo Kurosaki, Orihime Inoue, Keigo Asano, Yasutora Sado, Uryu Ishida, and Akemi Urahara."

Akemi blanched at not only the assignment but also that she was scheduled for that day. She hadn't received any notice about this. Slowly she leaned over to Uryu.

"Did you know about this?" she asked, slightly panicked. Uryu nodded, pushing up his glasses as he did.

"My father would not let me forget it. Did Kisuke mention it to you?" he whispered back.

"No! What am I going to do?"

"Miss Urahara, please sit back and pay attention." the teacher announced sternly. Akemi apologized, leaning back and feeling miserable. As each family member came before the class, all Akemi could think of was how embarrassed she would be when no one came for her. Even Orihime had a cousin in from out of town for this. Things got even worse when Ryuken Ishida came before the class, looking impressive in his perfectly tailored white suit. It seemed like he was pleasant for everyone else, but glaring in disapproval when he saw Akemi sitting next to Uryu. Everyone else seemed to be enamored of the head of the Karakura hospital. When he was finished speaking he took a seat with the other guests, though it seemed he tried to stay away from Isshin Kurosaki, Ichigo's father.

"Okay, finally we have Akemi Urahara. Akemi, who is here for you?"

Akemi stood nervously, trying to ignore the curious eyes looking at her. She swallowed and looked only at her teacher.

"My…my…you see…" she tried to explain but nothing was coming out. She started to feel dizzy and on the verge of hyperventilating. Suddenly a call came from out in the hallway.

"Wait! Wait, I'm here!"

Then, as if appearing by magic, Kisuke Urahara burst into the room. He was breathing heavily, probably from running to get to the classroom. What surprised Akemi and her friends more was what he was wearing. He wore a dark brown suit and shirt and a deep hunter green tie. He was without his hat, which made his hair seem messier, and wore dress shoes instead of his wooden clogs. However, he still had his cane, which they knew was actually his zanpakuto, Benihime. It was quiet an interesting sight.

Kisuke caught his breath and smiled, confidently standing before the class and other guests.

"Hello, everyone! My name is Kisuke Urahara. I am Akemi's uncle." he said proudly. After he addressed the class he looked to his niece.

"Hi, Akemi! You can sit now. I've got this."

Akemi nodded wordlessly and sat, still surprised by this turn of events. The other guests were shocked by his tardiness and laid-back attitude, although Isshin Kurosaki looked more amused than offended.

Kisuke began by giving a vague overview of the store and the people who worked for him. He couldn't give actual descriptions of what he sold. People wouldn't believe him and probably think him crazy. He also talked about being an inventor and some of the things he was currently working on. He seemed to really have the class' attention and the students asked a lot of questions. Akemi sat back relieved and listened to her uncle talk. A couple times he caught her eye and winked. It appeared that he was really enjoying himself. Akemi was just thankful that her uncle had shown up at all to speak.

After the presentations, the family members from all the classes were given a tour of the school and then were given a reception. It was held in the gym but they were allowed to go outside as well. Akemi was outside saying good-bye to Ichigo's father when Uryu came out looking for her. As Ichigo was leading his father away, Uryu approached his girlfriend. He wrapped his arm around her waist and gently kissed her cheek.

"Hey. Feeling better now?" he asked. Akemi leaned her head on his shoulder, grinning up at him.

"Yeah, much better. I should have known that he would come." she replied serenely. Uryu nodded then looked around, realizing that Kisuke wasn't with his niece.

"Where is Kisuke anyway? He didn't leave yet did he?" he asked curiously.

"He had to call the shop about something. He'll be back soon."

The two were enjoying the time alone when the quiet was suddenly interrupted by a shout.

"Uryu! What are you doing?"

The young Quincy groaned and turned to see his father quickly approaching them. Uryu reflexively tightened his grip on Akemi. He knew this encounter would be the most difficult for her.

"I'm spending time with my girlfriend." the young man answered simply. Ryuken's eyes narrowed as he looked between the two of them.

"She's been gone for months! She can't be that good of a girlfriend." Ryuken said caustically.

"I had to go away. There was something I had to do." Akemi put in, annoyance creeping into her voice. Ryuken sneered at her, still seeing her as a problem and a nuisance.

"Yes, I can only imagine what you had to take care of." he answered, insinuating terrible things. Once again, Akemi let her anger get the better of her and her spiritual pressure surged forth. Ryuken's eyes widened in surprise and he looked more closely at her. He then looked shocked and took a step back from her.

"Uryu, get away from her! She is a Soul Reaper! We are sworn enemies!" he exclaimed.

"I know she is a Soul Reaper." Uryu replied calmly.

"You know? Well then you must stay away because you promised not to associate with Soul Reapers." his father shot back.

"I am also a Quincy; therefore I believe that negates your agreement." Akemi answered, showing her Quincy cross.

"That is not possible! You lie! You stole that cross!" he shouted, now enraged. He then grabbed Akemi's arm and reached for her cross.

"Ryuken, stop it! She's not lying!" Uryu cried out, trying to separate him from Akemi. The frightened young woman struggled against him as he reached for her bracelet.

"What's going on here?" a calm voice asked to the side. All three stopped and looked to see Kisuke leaning against his cane and sipping a cup of punch. Ryuken let go of Akemi, whose face was streaked with tears, and approached Kisuke.

"Your niece is a liar and a thief! Tell her to relinquish that Quincy cross! She is a Soul Reaper and does not deserve it!" Ryuken demanded. Kisuke kept his face blank and took another sip of punch.

"You are right that my niece is a Soul Reaper. However, she is in fact a Quincy as well. That cross was her mother's and now rightfully Akemi's." Kisuke answered honestly.

"Then she is not a true Quincy! And she will stay away from my son!" Ryuken continued furiously. Kisuke continued to look unfazed by Ryuken's temper.

"Oh my niece is indeed a Quincy. Quite talented one too. Her mother would be proud. **And** I will allow her to continue seeing your son. I like him, he's a good kid, and he has a good effect on Akemi. So you are gonna butt out and leave these kids alone."

Before Ryuken could respond, Kisuke raised his cane and placed the hook under the older Quincy's chin. For added effect, Kisuke leaked his spiritual pressure, intimidating Ryuken.

"One more thing. Listen very carefully, Ryuken Ishida. If you ever, **ever** lay a hand on my niece again, I promise that you will lose that hand." he said dangerously. Ryuken didn't say a word, only straightened his suit coat and began walking away.

"Uryu, I'll see you at home." he said gruffly.

"Not likely." Uryu whispered, clutching Akemi's hand.

"Uryu, I don't want you to get in trouble over me." she whispered.

"Akemi, I've waited seven months for you to come back. I'm not letting my father ruin this for us."

Kisuke patted his niece comfortingly on the shoulder.

"Uryu's right. Don't worry about Ryuken. He's just a bitter, ignorant man. You two are happy and that makes me happy. He should think so as well."

"Arigatou, Oji-san." she said gratefully, giving her uncle a big hug.

"You're welcome. Hey, I gotta go. Got a few projects that I need to get back to. Will you be over for dinner tonight?"

"Tomorrow. Orihime invited me over tonight."

"Okay, cool. See you then. Be careful. Love you."

"Love you, Kisuke-oji."

Kisuke winked at the two of them then headed on his way. Once he was gone, Akemi hugged Uryu, nestling her face in his chest.

"I'm so sorry." she apologized.

"For what?" Uryu asked surprised.

"For angering your father, for my uncle threatening your father." she replied. Uryu shook his head, dismissing all of it.

"He brought that on himself. I couldn't believe he did that. Your uncle did the right thing."

Akemi sighed, suddenly very tired, and nestled her head in the crook of Uryu's neck.

"Can't anything ever be easy?" she asked quietly.

"Maybe someday." he answered softly. She sighed, nuzzling his neck.

"As long as I've got you I can wait." she whispered. Uryu smiled at the thought.

"Agreed."

The ringing of another bell interrupted their moment, ushering the students back to class. Uryu snuck Akemi another kiss and then the two headed back inside to finish their first day back.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Intrigue and Archery

Akemi found herself in what seemed like the Squad 11 training yards. Although the air seemed thick and hazy and the colors of everything seemed distorted. She looked around but no one was there. In fact, there were no animals, no sounds either.

_What's going on? I thought that I had gone home._ she wondered. Akemi tried to walk in order to investigate but her legs wouldn't respond. It seemed like she had been cemented in place.

_What the hell?_

As she tried to free her legs, a piercing cackling shattered the silence. It echoed around her as if Akemi was in a tunnel. Akemi's heart beat faster in panic and that cackle seemed to make her blood run cold. She knew who it belonged to, the man who seemed to haunt her for her entire life. Captain of Squad 12, Mayuri Kurutsuchi.

"Not so tough are you, little Quincy? Or are you a Soul Reaper?" he mocked, though Akemi couldn't see him, "Personally I don't think you are much of either."

Akemi tried to push away her fear and went to draw Ten no okami. However, as soon as her hand touched the hilt, the zanpakuto shattered into tiny pieces. Her eyes widened in shock and when she tried to summon her bow, she found that her cross was gone.

"See?" the voice continued, "You are nothing and now you will die."

Still stuck in place, Akemi suddenly doubled over in pain. It spread like fire through her limbs and she could not focus, just like the last time she was poisoned. Then as if appearing out of thin air, the sadistic captain appeared beside her. The painted man smiled wickedly and raised his zanpakuto.

"You will die first and then I will come for the boy." he hissed darkly. He held the blade over Akemi then with a sickening cackle, plunged it down into her.

-)*(-

Akemi woke with a scream. She looked around frantically, her body and clothing drenched in cold sweat. The frightened young woman even felt her chest to see if there were any wounds. When she saw that she was in her apartment, she laid back down. Still in shock, she didn't even notice the tears streaming down her face. It had been three months since the attack on her in the Seireitei. She had thought that she had gotten over all her issues from that day but apparently not. This was the third time in the last couple weeks that Akemi had the same nightmare.

"Why can't I be free of him already?" she whispered exasperated. She covered her face with her hands and silently wept.

-)*(-

In the morning, Uryu went to meet Akemi at her apartment. They were supposed to be going to Ichigo's house. In gym class they were covering archery again and Ichigo wanted Akemi to help him practice so he didn't look like a fool. Akemi, in turn, had asked Uryu to come with as an excuse to get him out of his father's house. Uryu had been happy for any reason to see Akemi and the chance to annoy Ichigo was only a bonus.

When he arrived at Akemi's place, he immediately could feel that something was amiss. Akemi, who normally had incredible control, had erratic spiritual pressure. Uryu's good mood was replaced with concern and he quickly knocked on the door. Akemi luckily didn't take long to answer. She greeted him with a smile but Uryu could see that she was tired and had dark circles around her eyes. Even the smile seemed strained.

"Hey, just give me one second and I'll be ready." Akemi said quickly. She was about to go back inside when Uryu grabbed her arm, turning her back to face him.

"Akemi, are you okay? You seem a bit out of it." he asked worriedly. She smiled at him again.

"Yeah, I just didn't sleep well last night. No need to worry." she answered brightly. Uryu looked at her closely, trying not to appear pushy.

"Are you sure? You can tell me." he added. Akemi smirked and nodded confidently.

"Yes, Uryu. I'll be fine."

She caressed his face then leaned in and kissed him. The kiss was soft and sent shivers down Uryu's spine. He pulled her back into him and kissed her again, one hand holding her waist and the other at the back of her head, fingers lost in her silken hair. Uryu then pressed her against the door frame, the kisses now harder and more intense. Finally Akemi pushed him away, her breath coming in long, heavy exhalations and her eyes heavy-lidded with desire as she looked at him.

"As much as I really, really want to continue, we have to get to Ichi-nii's house." she said, voice husky. Uryu groaned in annoyance, instead leaning in to kiss her neck, but Akemi quickly stopped him and held him back.

"Uryu, I'm serious! I promised him I would help." she added, her voice returning to normal as she gained focus. He sighed in defeat and tucked Akemi's hair behind her ears.

"Fine. You know you really know how to drive a guy crazy." he said wryly. Akemi smirked as she grabbed her gym bag and hoodie.

"Uh-huh. Let me remind you that you started it this time." she replied and locked her apartment.

"I stand by my statement that you are still the trigger." he answered, being playfully stubborn. Akemi laughed, entwining her fingers with his.

As they walked, Uryu realized that they hadn't finished discussing the reason behind Akemi's lack of sleep. He glanced quickly at Akemi and saw that she still had that happy, relaxed look on her face. When he focused, Uryu could sense that her spiritual pressure had stabilized as well. He wasn't happy about it, but he decided to let it go for now. It was no use upsetting her, especially before meeting up with Ichigo. Although Uryu did resolve to keep an eye on her. Something was going on and he was going to figure it out before Akemi got hurt.

-)*(-

_THUNK!_

Akemi and Uryu watched as Ichigo's arrow hit the target that was set up on the far side of the Kurosaki backyard. Akemi grimaced when she saw that it hadn't even pierced the outermost ring of the target.

"Wow, Ichigo. That was great. If you're planning on failing gym class, that is." Uryu said sarcastically.

The orange-haired Soul Reaper spun about angrily, staring daggers at the dark-haired Quincy.

"Cram it, Uryu! If I want your opinion, I'll ask!" Ichigo shot back. Akemi sighed as Uryu replied with another insult. This one caused Ichigo to throw down his bow and start yelling obscenities at Uryu.

_These two are ridiculous! We won't get anything done at this rate._ Akemi thought, fed up with the both of them. They had been at Ichigo's for over an hour and he had only fired three arrows in that time. The rest was spent arguing with Uryu.

Finally Akemi couldn't take anymore and she quietly began reciting a kido chant. She focused her spiritual energy, imagining it as many small spheres as she chanted.

"Hado 31: Shakkaho!"

Both young men stopped arguing when they heard that kido spell, but it was too late. Because of how Akemi had focused her energy, the spell was released differently. Instead of a great ball of red energy, many small spheres blew up at each boy's feet, like firecrackers. They were hopping about like idiots, trying not to be hit by the searing, red energy. When it was over, they looked at Akemi speechless and dumbfounded. She looked at them unapologetically, hands on her hips in an authoritative stance.

"You two need to stop arguing so much, especially over little stuff. We're wasting time! If you two don't play nice, I swear, next time I'm going to use a level 60 bakudo on you both."

Both Ichigo and Uryu remained speechless, only able to nod their agreement. Akemi was glad that her plan had worked. She was almost afraid that nothing would get these two to cooperate.

"Now, I'm going to get something to drink. You two practice."

Once again they only nodded dumbly. She nodded in approval and turned to walk into the house. As she was walking she could hear Ichigo speak to Uryu.

"Man, I didn't know Onee-chan was so tough."

"Indeed." was her boyfriend's only reply.

The house was quiet as Akemi went to the kitchen. Kurosaki-san was busy working in the clinic and Ichigo's sisters, Yuzu and Karin, were out with friends. It should have been the perfect time for Ichigo to practice, having no distractions. Unfortunately he and Uryu had been at each other's throats all day. Akemi poured herself a glass of juice and slowly sipped it as she thought about those two. They could be so stubborn and short-tempered. It was really counter-productive. Hopefully they would do better after her little kido display. She hadn't been kidding when she had threatened them with the bakudo.

Akemi drained her glass and placed it in the sink when she was done. She then went to the fridge and grabbed two bottles of water for the guys. As she was leaving the kitchen, Akemi felt a slight surge in spiritual pressure. It wasn't hostile or felt like a danger, but rather a subtle change and quite calm. Akemi focused harder, sensing the signatures around her. This new one was guarded but felt oddly familiar. Akemi put down the bottles of water and followed the pressure signature. It led her, strangely enough, to the Kurosaki Clinic.

Inside, Akemi could hear Kurosaki-san speaking with another person. The visitor's voice was low but did sound like a man. The door was open and Akemi carefully peeked around the corner to see who it was. Her breath caught in her throat immediately. The man had a familiar build and stance and blonde hair that came to two points at the man's shoulders.

_It can't be! What is he doing here?_ she thought.

"Kurosaki-senpai, I think there is someone here to see you." the guest said suddenly. Akemi gasped as Ichigo's father looked her way. His face split into a wide smile and he held his arms out wide.

"Akemi-chan! The third daughter I never had! Come in, no need to hide!" he exclaimed. The exuberant man quickly ran to her and pulled Akemi into the lobby of the clinic. The poor girl was placed right in front of Kurosaki-san's guest, the hyper doctor's hands proudly on her shoulders. Akemi's stomach knotted when she saw that her suspicions had been confirmed.

"Kira-san, this is Akemi Urahara. She is a friend of my son's but really she's like another daughter." Isshin said happily. Izuru's blue eyes lit up and his mouth curled into a knowing smirk that only Akemi caught.

"Pleased to meet you, Urahara-san." he said pleasantly, no trace of anger or bitterness present from the last time Akemi had seen him. Akemi only barely tilted her head in acknowledgement.

"Akemi, this is Izuru Kira. He is my new assistant." Isshin added then noticed Akemi's blank expression and frowned.

"Akemi-chan, are you feeling well? You look pale."

Akemi blinked and looked up at Ichigo's father. She smiled weakly, not wanting him to ask more questions, and held a hand up to her forehead.

"Actually that's why I came in. I think I'm coming down with something, Kurosaki-san."

Akemi was surprised how fast he sprang into action after that. He sat her on a bed and placed a thermometer into her mouth.

"Poor Akemi-chan! You just wait here. I'm going to have a talk with my irresponsible son and that boyfriend of yours. How they could let you out when you weren't feeling well is beyond me!" The over-reacting man stomped from the clinic, still grumbling to himself though no one could hear him.

Once Isshin was gone, Izuru started to laugh. Akemi glared at him and removed the thermometer from her mouth.

"What's so funny, Izuru? Better yet, why are you here?" Akemi asked angrily.

"Kurosaki-senpai is quite the doting father." the blonde Soul Reaper replied as he calmed down, putting his hands in the pockets of his gray pants, "As to why I'm here, I and a few others are here investigating the increased Hollow activity."

It was true. Since Akemi had returned home there had been an increase in Hollow attacks. Luckily, between her, Ichigo and the others they had been able to handle the increase. An inquiry from the Soul Society was actually long overdue. However, she still eyed the lieutenant suspiciously.

"And that's it? No other reason?" she asked.

Izuru chuckled again and sat on the bed opposite her, loosening his blue tie. Akemi was surprised how good he looked in normal, human clothes. She shook the thought away and waited for his answer.

"Well, I did have one ulterior motive. I did want to see you." he said sincerely. Akemi's eyes narrowed at his response, her anger returning.

"What makes you think that I want to see you? You haven't exactly kept in touch since I left the Seireitei."

Her words seemed to hit a nerve because Izuru winced and he seemed sad.

"You're right. I behaved badly those last couple days. I also want to try and make amends. I've missed you, Akemi."

Akemi was ready to explode at his words, she was so angry at that moment. It had been months since they had last spoke and he was choosing now to make up with her! She was about to snap back with a response when they heard footsteps approaching. Isshin literally tumbled in first, having been tossed in by his son. Ichigo and Uryu were next, looking frantic.

"Akemi, are you okay? Kurosaki-san told us you weren't well." Uryu asked worriedly. He barely glanced at Izuru but Izuru definitely took note of Uryu. Akemi could see a flicker of jealousy pass over Izuru's face as Uryu hugged her.

"I'm fine, Uryu. I think I'm just catching a cold." she lied.

"Then maybe we should get you home. Do you mind, Ichigo?" he said, turning to regard Ichigo. The substitute Soul Reaper waved his hand at them.

"No problem. Go home and rest, baka. You shouldn't have even come today if you weren't well." he replied.

"Sorry, Ichi-nii. I was more worried about you." Akemi answered honestly, laughing softly. Soon Akemi was gathering her things and leaving with Uryu. She glanced back once at Izuru as if to say something but thought better of it and continued walking with Uryu.

-)*(-

After Akemi and Uryu were gone, Ichigo's father had been called away to see a patient, leaving Ichigo alone with Izuru.

"You're from the Soul Society aren't you?" he asked bluntly. Izuru looked up at him in surprise.

"Yes. How did you know?" he replied.

"I recognized you from when I was in the Soul Society to save Rukia." Ichigo answered, "Why are you here?"

Izuru smirked and went into the same explanation that he had told Akemi. He also added that Renji and Rukia were part of the investigation squad as well. Ichigo nodded at Izuru's explanation then eyed him closely.

"You know Akemi Urahara?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes, why?"

"I know that she had some troubles while she was in the Soul Society, that's why she came home. I don't know if you had any part of that but I'm telling you now to not give her any troubles here. She's happy here and I want to keep it that way." Ichigo answered seriously. Izuru stared at Ichigo blankly and didn't respond. Ichigo took his silence as an agreement and headed back to his house, leaving Izuru to ponder over what he was going to do next. It was funny. Renji had warned Izuru that his might happen.

-)*(-

**Long chapter but an important one. Sorry if there's any confusion but it references heavily on Akemi's time with the thirteen court guard squads (My Time in the Soul Society). Let the drama begin!**


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Power Surge

After the surprising revelations of the previous day, Akemi welcomed the return of Renji and Rukia. Their distraction allowed Akemi to not think about Izuru's return to her life. They also took her mind off another night of nightmares.

At lunch they all met on the roof like usual, however Mizuiro was absent due to a doctor's appointment and Keigo had to stay back and clean the classroom because of a prank he had pulled during class. With the normal students gone, the group was free to talk about Soul Reaper topics. Currently though, Renji was busy embarrassing Akemi by recounting the story of the time she had blown up a section of the training ground at the Soul Reaper Academy.

"It was an accident, Renji! A kidō spell gone awry!" she exclaimed, blushing fiercely.

"Yeah, I'll say. You fused the spell with a Quincy arrow and nearly wrecked the place! I thought the instructors would throw a fit when they saw it," the crimson-haired Soul Reaper replied, grinning widely.

"Wow, I wish I could have seen it! It must have been incredible." Orihime replied awestruck.

"I must admit, I never thought that it could be possible, blending Quincy and Soul Reaper techniques. It would have been nice to document the event," Uryū added, causing Akemi's blush to deepen.

"It was reckless. I don't have balance between my power sets," Akemi said humbly. "Next time someone could get hurt."

Uryū grinned supportively, placing his hand over Akemi's.

"Well then maybe you and I should train together. I know a perfect place," he offered.

"Whoa, hang on!" Ichigo interrupted. "Why can't she train with us like normal, at her uncle's?"

Uryū glared at Ichigo, annoyed by his loud, unnecessary questions.

"She said she needed balance between her Quincy abilities which means she should train with me," Uryū said evenly, trying to remain calm as he remembered Akemi's threat from the day before. Ichigo was initially surprised by Uryū's laid-back response but caught on when the dark-haired Quincy sent him a subtle nod in Akemi's direction. She had been watching them closely, a bakudō spell already on her lips. Both young men let the subject drop and went back to their lunches.

"Please Uryū; you just want an excuse to be alone with her. You're just too proper to state your intentions." Renji butted in as he took a bite of his food. The whole group looked up in surprise and the boorish remark even elicited a punch in the shoulder from Rukia. Renji rubbed his sore shoulder, casting an irritated glance Rukia's way.

"Very subtle, Renji," Rukia added, not intimidated in the least.

"Well, it's true," he grumbled, going back to his lunch.

Silence fell over the group for a time as they ate. It was a comfortable silence and they welcomed it because it was one of the few times of late that they could enjoy it. After some time when she had finished her meal, Orihime took a sheaf of blue papers out of her bag and began handing them to each of her friends.

"Orihime, what are these for?" Renji asked curiously.

"Thank you for asking, Renji! I am on the planning committee this year for the cultural festival and we decided that we are going to have a dance. All the details are on the flyer," she answered brightly. The friends chatted excitedly about the dance, or rather the girls chatted while the men sat by and watched. Ichigo appeared enthusiastic only for Orihime's sake. He wasn't very involved in social gatherings but if she wanted to go, he would suffer through it for her. Uryū, though not usually spiteful, saw this as an opportunity to get back at Renji for his earlier comments. He grinned slyly and turned to the tattooed Soul Reaper.

"Hey, Renji."

"What?"

"This would be the perfect time to ask out Rukia. Although, I don't know how her brother would feel about his subordinate taking out his sister."

Renji had been sipping juice when Uryū had spoken and now most of it was down his shirt. He had spit in surprise and was coughing hard as the rest had gone down the wrong pipe. He glared ominously at Uryū and was ready to shoot out a retort when Rukia let out a squeal of glee.

"Renji, that's perfect!" she exclaimed. He finished wiping his clothes, looking at Rukia blankly.

"What's perfect?" he asked dumbfounded.

"You taking me to the dance! Brother will only let me go if I have an escort and who better to escort me than his trusted lieutenant?" she replied, her excitement growing. Renji continued to stare at Rukia, her words beginning to sink in. The thought of actually being able to go out with Rukia caused a smile to tug at the corners of his mouth.

Then Renji noted the pleased look on Uryū's face and his smile quickly turned into a scowl. The proud lieutenant looked back at Rukia, sitting tall and a serious look on his face.

"I will speak with Captain Kuchiki on your request. I ask you not to get your hopes up though," he said sternly. Before Rukia could reply, the bell signaling lunch's end rang shrilly. The friends gathered their things and headed back downstairs to class. Uryū caught Akemi giving him a stern look as they walked together downstairs.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"That was low," she answered.

"What was?"

"What you said to Renji. It's obvious he wants to court Rukia. However, he's in a tough position because of Rukia's status. It's not easy for either of them. I know he can be a blockhead but cut him some slack," she replied, voice softening at the end. Uryū grasped Akemi's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, a contrite look on his face.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I'll be better," he replied honestly. Akemi smiled widely and squeezed his hand back.

"Good. Thank you."

Classes proceeded like normal after lunch and the afternoon was wonderfully boring. No Hollow attacks or other surprises came to pull them from their studies. When classes were done for the day, Akemi went home with Ichigo to continue his archery lessons. Uryū wisely bowed out from going with them. His excuse was that he had a lot of homework to get done.

Akemi knew better but didn't say anything about it. She merely winked at her boyfriend and kissed his cheek, saying that she would call him later.

Archery practice went much better this time since Uryū wasn't around to argue with Ichigo. Despite his grumbling that archery was pointless, Ichigo was actually making steady progress. By the end of practice, he was able to land a cluster of arrows near the center of the target. It was actually better than Akemi had expected him to do.

"Good job, Ichigo! I'll make an archer out of you yet!" Akemi exclaimed, playfully nudging him in the side with her elbow. Ichigo rolled his eyes and handed the bow to Akemi.

"Yeah, yeah. I still think archery is pointless," he answered. He sounded disinterested but Akemi could see a subtle, pleased expression on his face. She didn't want to say anything to embarrass him and only smiled in satisfaction. Granted, Ichigo was only practicing archery so he could get a good grade, but at least he would now have a better appreciation for the skill.

"So 'Coach', do I still need work?" he asked as they started to clean up.

"You're doing better…" Akemi began but then a loud whistle interrupted her. Both teens looked back to the house to see Ichigo's sister Karin waving at them.

"Karin, what's up?" Ichigo called out.

"Dad says that he needs you to go to the store and pick up stuff for dinner," she answered in her laid-back tone.

"What?! It's his turn to pick up groceries!" Ichigo replied indignantly.

"He's swamped with patients. You need to go," Karin said then went back into the house, apparently not desiring to drag this out with her brother.

Ichigo groaned in irritation and ran a hand through his spiky orange hair. He looked apologetically at Akemi.

"I'm sorry. I have to take care of this. Yuzu runs a tight ship when it comes to errands and preparing meals. Will you be okay cleaning up on your own?"

Akemi waved a hand at him, brushing the notion away.

"Go! I'll be fine. This is easy, plus I may get some shots in myself," she assured him. Ichigo smirked and gave her a nod.

"I'll be back in a flash. You staying for dinner?"

"No, I promised Oji-san that I would come by the shop tonight."

"Okay. Don't leave until I get back."

With that Ichigo hurried out of the yard and out onto the street toward the grocery store. Akemi grinned as she went back to the make-shift archery range. Ichigo played the part of the tough guy but he truly was a kind-hearted person. Besides Uryū, Ichigo was also Akemi's staunchest defender. As she picked up the bow and quiver of arrows, Akemi knew that she was very lucky to have Ichigo as her friend.

The young woman moved as far back as she could in the enclosed yard. She then held up the bow and drew her first arrow. She sighted down the length of her arm and took into account the gentle breeze that blew across the yard. When she was ready, Akemi released the arrow and it hit the bull's-eye perfectly. A slight smile graced her lips as she drew another arrow.

Target practice, besides practical, was relaxing. It allowed Akemi to just focus on the target and forget everything else. She had missed doing this while she had been in the Soul Society.

Before long, Akemi had moved on from simply shooting the center to aiming for specific points on each ring of the target. Each arrow hit true but that only spurred Akemi on to attempt more challenging shots. Her skills would only stagnate if she merely took the easy shots. After she had successfully completed a shot from a kneeling position, her concentration was broken by a new presence in the Kurosaki yard. Defensive reflexes took over and Akemi quickly rolled to the side. In one fluid motion, she had finished reloading her bow as she came up in a new kneeling position, her arrow aimed squarely on the stranger.

"Whoa! Hold your fire!" the familiar voice cried out. Izuru Kira held up his hands in a neutral pose, a surprised look on his face. Akemi was equally surprised to see him outside of the clinic. The odd scene was complete when Akemi noticed that he was wearing pale green scrubs and a stethoscope around his neck.

Akemi frowned, relaxing her bowstring as she stood to face him. She set aside her archery equipment but kept a safe distance from him. Izuru did well in hiding his disappointment as she stayed away from him.

"What do you want, Izuru?" she asked, trying to keep her voice polite and neutral. Apparently she had failed because Izuru frowned.

"Well I would like to have a civil conversation with you, for starters," he answered, tone tinged with annoyance. Akemi winced slightly, realizing that now she was handling things poorly.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to be civil," she replied, attempting to light things with a joke. Although, Izuru didn't think it was funny. His frown deepened and his eyes looked so very sad as he rushed forward and took Akemi's hands in his.

"I don't want you to just be civil! I want us to be how we were!" he cried out exasperated. "We would talk for hours about anything or just sit, enjoying the company and the silence."

Izuru let go with one hand and carefully traced the outline of Akemi's face. Akemi blushed fiercely at his touch and her heart began to race. Izuru leaned in slightly, his eyes getting a dazed, dreamy expression.

"Akemi, I want…"

Akemi didn't hear if he had finished his statement because a thrumming sensation had started in her head. She winced slightly and pinched the bridge of her nose in order to try and dull the pain. Izuru looked at her concerned, backing away to get a better look at her.

"Akemi, what's wrong? I haven't upset you have I?" he asked.

"No, it's not you. Something's wrong…my head," she replied as the pain increased. It was now accompanied by a tingling feeling up and down her arms. The sensation felt like thousands of tiny needles were piercing Akemi's skin. Combined with the unceasing pounding in her skull, it was an overall unpleasant and nauseating experience. In the back of her mind, Akemi thought of the first time she had begun her Quincy training. When she had initially learned to draw in spirit particles, she had felt a similar tingling but it had been far less painful.

Akemi gritted her teeth as her headache intensified. She slowly turned towards the house though every fiber of her being was telling her to simply collapse.

"Izuru…back…away," she said in careful, clipped tones. The soul reaper lieutenant looked incredibly worried but he did as Akemi instructed. The overwhelmed young woman held her left hand up straight in the air, manifesting her Quincy bow.

Not having the focus for aiming, Akemi simply fired a barrage of arrows. She let it go on for some time then stopped and waited. The tingling sensation and the headache continued, even seemed to get worse. Izuru could only stand by helpless as he watched.

"Akemi, what the hell is going on?" he asked.

"Something's wrong. It's like there's a power imbalance and I can't get rid of it fast enough," she briefly explained, her words from earlier taking on new meaning. Though she wasn't sure how accurate she really was. Izuru seemed a little confused by it also, but he attempted to puzzle out the situation. After a minute or two the lieutenant of Squad 3 snapped his fingers as he came to a conclusion.

"Akemi, try mixing a kidō spell with one of your arrows. Maybe it will help if you put in a lot of energy," he suggested. "You did it once before in the Soul Society."

"Yeah, and I nearly blew up the academy at the same time!" she shot back incredulously. Izuru could only shrug in response. He had no other answers for her. The half-Quincy sighed deeply as the pain in her head continued unabated and the tingling sensation along her skin became unbearable. There was no other option besides what Izuru had suggested.

Once again Akemi summoned her bow and aimed straight up. As the words to a kidō spell passed her lips, she tried to remember what had happened the last time to join the two techniques. The energy flow was so similar, it had been almost effortless. Before long, as Akemi neared the end of the spell, red energy pulsed throughout her bow then pooled back to the center. When it was released, the giant arrow, golden yellow shot through with red, raced into the sky. The force of the release knocked Akemi back hard and she landed on the ground.

Izuru and Akemi watched wordlessly as the arrow flew higher and higher until finally it exploded, bright arcs of gold and red energy shooting off in every direction. Izuru watched in awe at the display while Akemi grimaced. Anyone with an iota of spiritual talent would be able to sense that display. Her friends and family, particularly Uryū and Kisuke, would top that list. She would soon have a lot of explaining to do.

-)*(-)*(-

**Hello! Sorry for the long absence. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know I enjoy writing for it and I promise I'm going to be a lot better with updating. As always, comments are appreciated. Love and peace!**


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Consequences

14 Years Ago

As the sun began to set behind the trees, the lone, cloaked figure took advantage of the dimming light to move unseen toward his destination. This journey required the utmost stealth and he didn't want to ruin things by being careless. He had come too far for that. His destination, a small house in the middle of the woods, was soon in sight and seeing it made him run faster. Just a little farther.

A sudden shift in spiritual pressure alerted the figure to another presence. He changed direction just as a kidō spell exploded. A perfect crater was left where the figure would have been if he hadn't changed direction. He swallowed hard and turned away from the damage so he could run on. Before he could move though, another figure appeared from nowhere brandishing a sword. The newcomer moved quickly, holding the sleek weapon at the intruder's neck.

"Don't move! Who are you?" the newcomer barked angrily.

Slowly so as not to agitate the swordsman, the intruder peeled back his hood, revealing silver-blonde hair.

"Geez Koji, relax! I told you I'd be coming by today," he replied sharply. The swordsman, Koji Urahara, looked in surprise and quickly lowered his zanpakutō.

"Kisuke, what the hell are you about? I could have killed you! How was I supposed to know it was you? You blocked your damn spiritual pressure!" he exclaimed. Kisuke Urahara chuckled and gave his brother a hug.

"It's the coat. I used it so no one would follow me to your home," Kisuke explained. "Sorry if it alarmed you."

"Impressive. Mother's little inventor," Koji joked, ruffling his brother's hair. Kisuke laughed and pushed his brother away.

"Yeah and you were her little spell-caster."

"Ha! Oh man, the stuff we pulled. We're lucky we didn't end up in the Maggot's Nest as kids," Koji said, referencing the special prison under guard by Squad 2 back in the Seireitei.

"We were lucky," Kisuke agreed then took a quick glance around. "C'mon. Let's go inside."

Koji nodded in agreement, patting his brother's shoulder again, and led Kisuke to his home. The house was a simple one-level ranch home. The outside was a neutral tan color and had a covered wooden porch that spanned the length of the house. As the entered through the front door, they stepped first into a living area that consisted of a few pictures on the wall, a brown sofa and a single coffee table. Strewn across the floor was an assortment of children's toys.

Kisuke was surprised by the toys but didn't say anything as Koji led him straight back to the kitchen. He didn't want to lead off with such a big topic of discussion, having just arrived. Instead he took a seat at the oak table and patiently waited as Koji hurried about boiling water in a teapot and grabbing cups and tea from the cupboard. From somewhere in the house, Kisuke caught the pleasing scent of jasmine. It was calming and overall, surprisingly domestic.

"So how's the retired life treating you and Mayumi?" Kisuke asked when his brother finally sat down after he had set the tea to brew. The younger Urahara chuckled and ran a hand through his shorter but similarly-colored silvery hair.

"We're not retired. We just don't actively seek out Hollows anymore," he clarified.

"And Yamamoto is okay with that," Kisuke added unconvinced.

"We made an agreement when Mayumi and I were first married. I would stay in the World of the Living with my bride and if Hollows arose in the area, I would handle it, but I would not receive orders from the Soul Society," Koji explained seriously. "I also could not reveal my identity or purpose to ryoka or interfere in matters in the Soul Society."

"And has the old man kept his end of the deal?" Kisuke asked.

"Yes. So far, so good. I haven't heard one peep from the other side."

Koji's older brother eyed him dubiously. After his own problems and betrayal in the Seireitei, Kisuke had become cynical and mistrusting of the Soul Reapers. The younger Urahara smirked and calmly patted his hands in the air.

"Relax, Kisuke. I would notice if anyone had been spying. I found you! Even with your fancy coat," Koji replied. "And besides, Mayumi is no slouch either. She's incredibly talented, especially when it comes to changes in ambient spirit energy."

Kisuke sighed, giving his brother the benefit of the doubt. Although deep down, he knew that one day the Soul Society would come knocking on his brother's door and the visit wouldn't be a pleasant one. Despite Koji's optimism and trust, Kisuke knew that it would be Koji who would come out poorly from that meeting. But he said nothing, because he knew that his perceptive brother knew his mind. Even though they weren't twins, the brothers Urahara had a special bond. They were keenly aware of each other's moods and thoughts. And if they were ever presented with a problem, together they could solve it quickly and effectively. Based on that, this time Kisuke would just have to trust his brother.

The teapot was soon whistling shrilly causing Koji to spring up from his chair and go over to the stove. As his brother finished preparing the tea, Kisuke decided to lighten the serious mood that had darkened the kitchen.

"So Koji, what's with all the toys? Are you running a daycare or are you just regressing?" he asked jovially.

Koji grinned as he poured the hot tea into the two cups. Kisuke was surprised with how dramatic the change over his brother's features had been. It was so ecstatic.

"Kisuke, you're right, a child has been in the house," Koji answered, his face alight with a wide smile. "Mayumi and I had a baby."

Kisuke's jaw dropped open in shock. Thankfully he hadn't yet begun drinking his tea; otherwise he would have had scalding hot tea dribbling down his front. Kisuke ran a hand over his face as his brother's words sunk in.

"When did this happen?" he asked trying to stay calm.

"Akemi was conceived a few months after the wedding."

"What?! That means the baby is almost two!" he exclaimed as he did the math. "How could you not tell me?"

Koji's smile faltered slightly and he paused to take a sip from his cup.

"It was a rough pregnancy. There were a few times early on that we thought we might lose her. After Akemi was born we wanted it to be just the three of us for a bit," Koji explained softly. Kisuke's scowl lessened and he nodded in understanding.

"That was probably for the best. Although, you know you've just bred a child that will not only have Soul Reaper powers, but can at the very least, draw in spirit particles as well. There are people that would love to have a power like that on their side," Kisuke said and his thoughts immediately went to a few people. One had been the cause of his exile. He shuddered to think what that monster would do with his niece.

"Kisuke, don't you think that we thought of that?" a melodious voice asked from the doorway. The two men turned to see Koji's wife Mayumi. Every time Kisuke saw his brother's wife, he was struck by her beauty. It was then followed by bewildered thoughts pondering over how his brother could be so lucky to get her. Mayumi's hair hung in a long sheet of silken gold strands and she had exotic fae-like features. Add in her hypnotic blue eyes and she truly was something to behold. Her true gift though was her keen intellect and genuine kindness to those around her.

Now taking a closer look at her, Kisuke noticed that her hair didn't shine as brightly and her eyes seemed tired, he even saw the beginnings of dark circles. Kisuke figured that it was mostly caused by the small child that rested on Mayumi's hip.

"Hello, Mayumi. Sorry if I seem a bit negative. Who's this?" he asked as he greeted his sister-in-law with a kiss on the cheek.

"It's alright. You're just being concerned," she answered then smiled as she looked at the little girl in her arms. "This is Akemi. Akemi, can you say hello to your Uncle Kisuke?"

The toddler was so small and her clothes seemed a bit baggy on her. The dark blue of her jumper made her wispy white-blonde hair really stand out. She definitely had her mother's otherworldly appearance. She mostly hid her face in her mother's shoulder but when she would peek at him, Kisuke could see that she eyes just like her mother. He waved and made sure to give her a big smile.

"Hello, Akemi-chan! Can you say 'Kisuke'?" he said jovially.

Little Akemi gave him a shy smile but still hid against her mother. Mayumi gently tickled under the girl's chin, prompting her to speak.

"Come on, Akemi. Say 'Kisuke'. Say 'Hello, Kisuke-oji'!" she coaxed. The child giggled for a minute then locked eyes with Kisuke.

"Kissy!" she said gleefully.

"I think that's the best you're going to get," Koji replied chuckling.

"I think that you're right," Kisuke agreed. At the sound of her father's voice, little Akemi squirmed in her mother's arms and began calling for her daddy. Koji happily scooped his daughter out of his wife's arms and took her to play in the living room, leaving Kisuke to catch up with Mayumi.

"So has she developed any powers yet?"

"Kisuke, she's only two!"

"Still worth asking. She's going to be a handful when she's older," Kisuke replied seriously.

Mayumi nodded as she watched Koji and Akemi play.

"I know. We're in a unique situation here. If she does develop powers from both sides, all we can do is guide her. The rest will be up to her," she said softly.

Mayumi paused for a moment then looked to Kisuke, eyes inquiring.

"When the time comes will you help us? Koji is excellent with spiritual abilities and the theory behind it but you have very good insights to the fighting aspect and practical applications."

"Of course I'll help! How could I say no to her?" he replied, smiling warmly. After seeing Akemi for only a couple minutes, Kisuke was already taken with the small child. She was insanely adorable.

Koji then interrupted by tossing a ball at Kisuke, which his brother deftly caught.

"Hey Kissy, your niece wants you to come play."

"Ok I'm coming."

He smiled reassuringly to Mayumi then threw the ball back at his brother and went to join them in their play.

-)*(-

Present Day

Urahara Shop

"Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner?!"

Akemi winced as her uncle yelled at her. Her uncle never had yelled at her before so this moment was particularly painful. After the incident at the Kurosaki home, Izuru had urged Akemi to go see her uncle about her problem. The young woman had no desire to drop this on her family, but unfortunately her problems were getting worse and if anyone could help her, it would be Kisuke. When they had arrived, Kisuke and Yoruichi had already been waiting for her and immediately begun to ask her questions. Things had gone downhill when Akemi had revealed that her flare-ups had been going on for some time and the reveal had led to the current tirade.

"How could you have been so thoughtless? People could have gotten hurt! You could have been hurt!" Kisuke continued in his rare outburst.

"Oji-san, I thought that I could fix it on my own. I thought it was just a matter of more training. I'm sorry," she replied, eyes downcast.

Seeing his niece so honestly despondent made Kisuke soften a little. He gently tilted Akemi's face up then took her hands in his.

"Akemi, you're not on your own anymore. You should have come to us directly after you started having problems," he said seriously though more quietly than before. "You're in a very unique situation and we need to handle this carefully. I promised your parents that if the time ever came, I would help you. Please let me help you now."

Akemi nodded in acceptance as tears began to flow freely down her cheeks. They were soon followed by open sobs as Kisuke brought her in for an embrace.

"I'm so scared, oji-san!" she cried.

Kisuke nodded and comfortingly ran his hand up and down her silver-gold head.

"I know. It'll be okay. We'll figure it out," he said reassuringly.

Yoruichi agreed then turned to face Izuru. The Squad 3 lieutenant had been silent throughout the whole exchange. This was the first time they had even acknowledged his presence.

"Lieutenant Kira!"

"Yes ma'am!" he replied, snapping to attention.

"It will be your job to keep an eye on Akemi. By doing so, hopefully we can keep the Soul Society out of this. If they get involved, this could turn into a real mess," she explained sternly.

"But Captain…I mean, Lady Shihoin, wouldn't they be a help? They have resources that you do not," he boldly replied.

"That will be a last resort, Lieutenant," she said quickly.

"But Lady Shihoin…"

"I said 'last resort', Lieutenant!" she barked angrily, silencing him. Izuru shut his mouth and took a step back.

"Understood, ma'am. You do know that I will at least have to report this. An event like this won't have gone unnoticed," he said, changing topics.

"Very well. Just be sure to use your own discretion at how much you tell them," the former captain answered stonily.

The matter was closed after that and the next few minutes were spent planning a training regiment for Akemi. Once they were done, Akemi was allowed to leave with Izuru following close behind. As they exited the shop, they saw Uryū pacing along the front porch. He stopped and looked up when he heard them approaching. The usually calm young Quincy stood with his body tense from waiting and his face was creased with worry and fear. He eased only slightly when he saw that Akemi was well.

Uryū rushed to his girlfriend and immediately wrapped her in a tight hug. Akemi closed her eyes, taking comfort in his embrace, breathing in his smell of clean cotton, books, and the faint hint of cologne. It was a soothing, yet slightly spicy scent and it smelled fantastic on him. It immediately began to relax Akemi's frayed nerves.

"Are you okay?" Uryū whispered, voice cracking with worry and fear.

"For now. The imbalance was worse than I thought," she whispered back. His hug tightened slightly at her words making Akemi realize that Uryū was just as frightened as she was, maybe more. Her boyfriend was so used to being able to analyze and quantify any problem then attack if necessary. This situation, however, had too many unknowns and no visible solutions. It was Uryū's worse nightmare, or at least close to it as far as Akemi knew. Being unable to solve this, let alone understand it would drive Uryū crazy.

To his credit, the young Quincy tried to smile and hide his concerns. His slender fingers brushed away the remnants of Akemi's tears and smoothed the rogue strands of hair from her face.

"How about we get you home and get something to eat?" he suggested.

"That sounds like a fantastic idea," she said softly, exhaustion beginning to take hold. As they turned to go, Uryū noticed that the Soul Reaper lieutenant was following them. He stopped and faced the blonde man.

"I'm sorry but we no longer need your assistance," he said politely.

The lieutenant's face hardened as he locked eyes with Uryū.

"My job now is to watch over Akemi Urahara," he replied, "She is in a dire situation and must be kept under surveillance."

Uryū frowned but it was Akemi who spoke first.

"Izuru, I'll be with Uryū. You don't need to watch over me. Besides, you should go let Ichigo know what happened. He's probably worried sick," she said gently.

Uryū carefully watched the Soul Reaper as Akemi spoke to him and was surprised to see a look of displeasure cross his face. Was he jealous?

"I'm not your errand boy, Akemi. Here only to serve you when you need me," Izuru replied coldly. Uryū watched as a flicker of pain marred his girlfriend's features, causing anger to well up inside him.

"Hey you-!" he began but Akemi gripped his arm, silencing him. Uryū stepped back, allowing Akemi to address Izuru.

"I'm sorry that you feel that way, Izuru. I only thought of you as my friend. As my friend you also need to respect my wishes. I am perfectly safe with Uryū. Good night," she answered, working hard to keep emotion from coloring her words. Uryū caught the double meaning in Akemi's words and noticed the effect they had on Izuru. The young man took a deep breath and calmly wrapped his arm around Akemi's waist and led her away from the Urahara shop and this troublesome lieutenant. As they walked, Uryū desperately wanted to ask her what that had been about but he refrained. Akemi had been through enough today and he had already seen something important. Akemi had chosen him.


End file.
